CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM LYMPHOMA

Course overview

LYMPHOMA OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY, REPRESENTS A RARE SUBSET OF NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA. ACCORDING TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DEFINITION, PRIMARY CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM LYMPHOMA REFERS TO THOSE CASES CONFINED TO THE CNS PARENCHYMA, DURA, LEPTOMENINGES, CRANIAL NERVES, AND SPINAL CORD OR THE INTRAOCULAR COMPARTMENT IN IMMUNOCOMPETENT PATIENTS. ON THE OTHER HAND, SECONDARY CNS LYMPHOMA REFERS TO SYSTEMIC NON-HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA THAT HAS DISSEMINATED TO THE CNS. HISTORICALLY, THE PROGNOSIS OF PRIMARY CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM LYMPHOMA HAS BEEN VERY DISMAL, WITH OVERALL SURVIVAL OF 1.5 MONTHS WHEN UNTREATED, AND A FIVE (5) YEAR SURVIVAL RATE OF 30%. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF CNS LYMPHOMA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.