Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is an extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma involving brain, intraocular structures and spinal cord, without evidence of systemic disease. The majority of PCNSLs are diffuse large B-cell type. We encountered a rare case of primary dural marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) with extension into the brain in a 59-year-old man....

PURPOSE Combined immunomodulatory and antiviral treatment was administered to three patients with newly diagnosed HIV-associated primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) in an attempt to improve outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS Three patients from our institution who were recently diagnosed with HIV-associated PCNSL received intravenous azidothymidine (AZT) 1.6 gr. bid for two weeks, fol...

OPINION STATEMENT Therapeutic options are limited in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) with no uniform consensus on optimal management and few published, randomized trials. High-dose methotrexate in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents forms the mainstay of treatment. There hasn't been much progress beyond high-dose methotrexate in this disease, and although results from...

BACKGROUND To improve survival of elderly patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), we conducted a phase II study with high-dose methotrexate (MTX) combined with procarbazine and CCNU. To reduce neurotoxicity, whole-brain irradiation was reserved for patients not responding to chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS High-dose MTX was applied on days 1, 15, and 30, procarbazine...

BACKGROUND Lymphoma is the leading cause of cancer-related death among HIV-infected patients in the antiretroviral therapy (ART) era. METHODS We studied lymphoma patients in the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems from 1996 until 2010. We examined differences stratified by histology and diagnosis year. Mortality and predictors of death were analyzed using Kaplan-M...

The diagnosis of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) depends on histopathology of brain biopsies, because disease markers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with sufficient diagnostic accuracy are not available yet. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are regulatory RNA molecules that are deregulated in many disease types, including cancer. Recently, miRNAs have shown promise as markers for cancer dia...

BACKGROUND Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is pathogenically linked to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and is found in virtually all HIV-related PCNSL cases. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of ganciclovir on EBV DNA replication in patients with HIV-related PCNSL. PATIENTS AND METHODS EBV DNA was measured by real-time pol...

BACKGROUND Unlike many other central nervous system (CNS) tumors, the surgical management of primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSL) is traditionally limited by diagnostic biopsy. Studies that predate the use of modern neurosurgical techniques have reported a prohibitive operative morbidity for this surgery. These early experiences have dictated the non-surgical management of PCNSL, wh...

Central Nervous System (CNS) infections are associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Accurate diagnosis is necessary for prompt treatment and increased chances of survival. However, there are many challenges to correct diagnoses in resource-limited settings, including the HIV epidemic, late presentation of symptomatic individuals, limited availability of laboratory diagnostic tests ...