See no evil, hear no evil…

Idiopathic hypertrophic pachymeningitis in a patient with a history of diffuse large B cell lymphoma

A man in his early 70s with a 4-year history of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was admitted to our hospital with diplopia and achromatopsia. Neurological examination revealed visual impairment, ocular motility disorder and diplopia on looking to the left. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid investigations showed no significant findings. MRI revealed diffusely thickened dura mater and contrast-enhanced structures in the left apical orbit, consistent with hypertrophic pachymeningitis (HP). We performed an open dural biopsy to distinguish the diagnosis from lymphoma. The pathological diagnosis was idiopathic HP, and DLBCL recurrence was ruled out. Following methylprednisolone pulse and oral prednisolone therapy, his neurological abnormalities gradually receded. Open dural biopsy played an important role not only in diagnosing idiopathic HP but also in relieving the pressure on the optic nerve.

Optic Neuropathy with Headache and Palpable Temporal Arteries Due to Hypertrophic Pachymeningitis Rather than Giant Cell Arteritis

Purpose: To report a case of optic neuropathy diagnosed by color Doppler ultrasonography and Gadolinium-enhanced cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Case report: A 79-year-old woman presented with headache and vision loss in her left eye. Although her bilateral temporal arteries were palpable and rope-like, color Doppler ultrasonography showed normal flow in both arteries with no signs of arteritis. MRI revealed increased enhancement of the pachymeninges enveloping both cerebral hemispheres, suggestive of hypertrophic pachymeningitis.Conclusion: Symptoms and laboratory data are similar for both hypertrophic pachymeningitis and giant cell arteritis (GCA). The present case suggests the utility of ultrasonography and MRI as rapid, convenient, and noninvasive tools for differential diagnosis of optic neuropathy.