Post-transplantation primary central nervous system lymphoma: A case report and review of the literature

• Published in: Surgical neurology international Vol. 2; no. 1; p. 130
• Main Authors: Chou, Arthur P, Lalezari, Shadi, Fong, Brendan M, Dye, Justin, Pham, Tracie, Vinters, Harry V, Pouratian, Nader
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Medknow Publications Pvt Ltd 2011
• Subjects: Review; Primary central nervous system lymphoma; transplantation
• ISSN: 2152-7806; 2229-5097; 2152-7806
• DOI: 10.4103/2152-7806.85471

Post-transplantation primary central nervous system lymphoma (PT-PCNSL) is a rare neoplasm that can develop within months to years after transplantation, and imaging often reveals multiple lesions with homogeneous or ring enhancement. The clinical and imaging presentation of PT-PCNSL can often be nonspecific and present a diagnostic challenge.
A 56-year-old woman presented to a tertiary university emergency room with altered mental status 15 months after undergoing renal transplantation. On brain MRI, she was found to have three rim-enhancing mass lesions, and biopsy revealed PT-PCNSL.
There has been a steady increase in the number of patients living following organ transplantation in the United States and an increasing likelihood that PT-PCNSL will increasingly be encountered in neurosurgical practice. We present here a case of PT-PCNSL and a brief review of the relevant clinical characteristics, treatment options, and prognosis of PT-PCNSL.