Management of central nervous system relapse in a young patient affected by primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma: A case report

Isolated central nervous system relapse in two adolescents with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma after treatment with R-DA-EPOCH

The addition of rituximab to standard regimens for primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) has significantly improved overall survival. However, the optimal management of isolated central nervous system (CNS) relapse and role of CNS prophylaxis remains undefined. We present cases of two adolescents with PMBCL who developed isolated CNS relapses. While isolated CNS relapse may be managed with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant with or without CNS radiotherapy, review of these cases and the literature highlight the need for further work to define risk factors for CNS relapse, and identify patients who may benefit from CNS prophylaxis.

Central nervous system metastasis in a young female patient with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma: A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) is a subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that originates from a B cell in the thymus. It usually affects young female.

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 30-year-old woman presented with mediastinal mass with history of shortness of breath and chest pain. blood analysis showed low levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular volume and high red cell distribution width. A computed tomography (CT)-guided mediastinal core biopsy disclosed primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMLBL) with a nongerminal center phenotype and lung tissue infiltrate. Moreover, after undergoing six cycles of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunomycin, Oncovin, and prednisone (R-CHOP) chemotherapy and mediastinal radiotherapy, the patient presented with headache and visual disturbance due to multiple supratentorial lesions.

CONCLUSION

Till date, only a few cases of central nervous system (CNS) metastasis have been reported in the literature. Moreover, CNS metastasis of refractory PMBCL is an uncommon event with a poor prognosis. Brain metastases are often the ultimate fatal consequence of many aggressive cancers, so early detection and treatment are important.

Incidence and risk factors for central nervous system relapse in patients with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma in the rituximab era

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement is rare in primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMLBCL). We aimed to evaluate the incidence of CNS relapse as first treatment failure event and the effect of the induction chemotherapy regimen, central nervous system - international prognostic index (CNS-IPI) and other clinical and laboratory variables on the risk of CNS relapse in 564 PMLBCL patients treated with immunochemotherapy. Only 17 patients (3.0%) received CNS prophylaxis. During a 55-month median follow-up only 8 patients experienced CNS relapse as first event, always isolated. The 2-year cumulative incidence of CNS relapse (CI-CNSR) was 1.47% and remained unchanged thereafter. The CI-CNSR was not affected by the chemotherapy regimen (R-CHOP or R-da-EPOCH). None of the established International Prognostic Index factors for aggressive lymphomas predicted CNS relapse in PMLBCL. The 2-year CI-CNSR in patients with versus without kidney involvement was 13.3% versus 0.96% (p < 0.001); 14.3% versus 1.13% with versus without adrenal involvement (p < 0.001); and 10.2% versus 0.97% with versus without either kidney or adrenal involvement. CNS-IPI was also predictive (2-year CI-CNSR in high-risk vs. intermediate/low-risk: 10.37% vs. 0.84%, p < 0.001). However, this association may be driven mainly by kidney and/or adrenal involvement. In conclusion, in PMLBCL, CNS relapse is rare and appears to be strongly associated with kidney and/or adrenal involvement.