Meningeal involvement by a transformed mycosis fungoides following Hodgkin's disease

Radiotherapy in Patients with Mycosis Fungoides and Central Nervous System Involvement

Background

Involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) by mycosis fungoides (MF) is rare; however, it portends a poor prognosis. While aggressive multimodality therapy may improve outcomes, the role of radiation therapy (RT) is not well defined.

Objectives

We sought to explore the efficacy of RT in the management of CNS involvement by MF.

Method

We retrospectively identified five patients with MF and CNS involvement who received cranial or craniospinal RT at a single institution. Patient characteristics, disease features, radiographic findings, treatments delivered, and outcome data were extracted from the electronic medical record.

Results

All 5 patients had neurologic deficits at RT initiation, and 4 experienced at least a partial improvement. Of 4 patients evaluated by MRI after RT completion, 3 had complete resolution of CNS disease within the irradiated field. At the time of last follow-up, all patients had died of MF. The median time to death was 7.4 months (range 1.0-21 months) from their diagnosis with CNS involvement and 1.2 months (range 0.4-7.1 months) from the end of RT treatment.

Conclusions

We observed high rates of radiographic response and palliation of neurological symptoms. Nonetheless, all patients succumbed to their disease shortly after treatment, confirming the poor prognosis of this condition. Our findings suggest that RT may play a valuable palliative role for these patients.

Thinking about CNS metastasis in cutaneous lymphoma: Analysis of existing data

To determine some of the key clinical features that help prompt clinicians to pursue additional work-up for evaluation of CNS involvement of MF, we conducted a systematic review to better define characteristics, treatments, outcomes, and mortality in these patients. Our analyses indicated that neurologic surveillance after the diagnosis of MF is crucial. Review of systems should include change in mentation, vestibular, and ocular symptoms. Progression to CNS involvement does not always occur in tandem with cutaneous disease burden. Single-agent therapies can delay disease progression and improve prognosis. Multi-agent treatment does not improve survival.

Temozolomide for central nervous system involvement in mycosis fungoides

BACKGROUND

The central nervous system (CNS) is one of the most commonly involved sites in the systemic progression of primary cutaneous T cell lymphomas (CTCLs) such as mycosis fungoides (MF). There is no consensus on the treatment of CNS progression in CTCL, but survival of 3-6 months is suggested when methotrexate-based chemotherapy and/or CNS irradiation is used. Temozolomide is active in earlier stages of MF and readily crosses the blood-brain barrier. There are no published data on its use in MF patients with CNS involvement.

METHODS

Four MF patients were treated with oral temozolomide (200 mg/m(2) per day for 5 d on a 28-day cycle) for CNS progression. Two patients received temozolomide with low-dose CNS irradiation as initial treatment, and two received temozolomide following disease progression after methotrexate-based chemotherapy and CNS irradiation. All patients received dexamethasone.

RESULTS

Temozolomide was well tolerated; there were no treatment withdrawals or dose reductions caused by toxicity. Patient 1 had an excellent partial response in pre-irradiated disease. Patient 2 showed disease stabilization following irradiation. Patient 3 showed a complete response after a partial response to irradiation. Patient 4 demonstrated continued stabilization after a partial response to irradiation. Overall survival ranged from 10 to 33 months. Patient 3 remains alive and symptom-free at 23 months following treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Temozolomide following low-dose CNS irradiation appears to be well tolerated and effective in MF patients with CNS progression. It may represent a less toxic alternative to chemotherapy containing methotrexate or an option for second-line therapy.

Brainstem involvement by mycosis fungoides in a patient with large-cell transformation: a case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement by mycosis fungoides (MF) is rare. As compared to meningeal involvement, intraparenchymal spread is especially rare. It is usually seen in advanced disease in conjunction with lymph node or visceral involvement. However, CNS involvement in the absence of progressive skin lesions or other extracutaneous involvement has been reported rarely in patients with transformed MF.

METHOD

Case report and review of literature.

RESULTS

A 71-year-old female with long-standing MF developed lymphomatous CNS involvement 10 years after the diagnosis of tumor stage MF. At this time, the patient presented with a transient episode of garbled speech followed by generalized weakness. Computerized tomography scan (CT scan) and magnetic resonance imaging scan (MRI scan) of the head revealed a subcortical lesion in the left temporo-frontal lobe. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination showed atypical T cells, and brain biopsy confirmed parenchymal involvement by T-cell lymphoma. Meanwhile, a biopsy of a skin lesion showed large-cell transformation. No lymph node or other systemic involvement was noted at this time, and the patient was treated with chemotherapy. Twelve months later, the patient developed recurrent CNS lymphoma with multiple organ involvement and expired soon thereafter.

CONCLUSIONS

This case illustrates the importance of awareness of the possibility of CNS involvement by MF, especially in transformed MF. CNS involvement may be the only site of extracutaneous involvement in patients with transformed MF, and mental status changes warrant CNS surveillance for this disease.

[Transformation of mycosis fungoides to pleomorphic T-cell lymphoma and central nervous system involvement]

INTRODUCTION

Although mycosis fungoides is a malignant T-cell lymphoma involving mainly the skin, neurological complications are possible, with a poor prognosis.

EXEGESIS

A 59-year-old man, treated for mycosis fungoides with transformation to a pleomorphic T-cell lymphoma for 1 year, was seen for mental status changes with confusion. A brain parenchyma localisation was found.

CONCLUSION

This observation emphasizes the exceptional neurological tropism in the patients with mycosis fungoides. A transformation to a more aggressive cutaneous T-cell lymphoma seems necessary to induce a central nervous system involvement.