Neurologic manifestations of intravascular lymphomatosis

Mononeuropathy multiplex as an uncommon presentation of intravascular lymphoma: A case report

Key Clinical Message

Although intravascular lymphoma rarely presents with peripheral neuropathy, learning about this presentation can lead to timely diagnosis and improved prognosis in patients with intravascular lymphoma.

Abstract

A 64-year-old man presented with asymmetric paresthesia and subsequent weakness of his feet and a 10 kg weight loss over 40 days. Electrodiagnostic studies revealed distal axonal sensory-motor polyneuropathy with ongoing axonal loss. A peroneal nerve biopsy showed intravascular proliferation of CD-20 positive lymphocytes, which suggested intravascular large B-cell lymphoma.

Clinical utility of positron emission tomography leading to rapid and accurate diagnosis of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma presenting with the central nervous system symptoms alone: A case report and review of the literature

Background:

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare entity among large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas and is often difficult to diagnose. We report the case of a patient with IVLBCL who presented with central nervous system (CNS) symptoms alone, in which positron emission tomography (PET) enabled a rapid and accurate diagnosis.

Case Description:

An 81-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a 3-month history of gradually progressive dementia and declining spontaneity. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple hyperintense lesions bilaterally on diffusion-weighted imaging without enhancement on gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted imaging. Laboratory findings showed elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (626 U/L) and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) (4692 U/mL). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed slightly elevated levels of protein (166 mg/dL) and lymphocytic cells (29/μL), and β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) (4.6 mg/L) was highly elevated. Whole-body computed tomography revealed faint ground-glass opacities in the upper and middle lung fields and diffuse enlargement of both kidneys without lymph node swelling. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET showed diffuse and remarkably high FDG uptake in both upper lungs and kidneys without uptake by lymph nodes, suggesting a malignant hematological disease. IVLBCL was confirmed histologically by incisional random skin biopsy from the abdomen. Chemotherapy using R-CHOP regimen in combination with intrathecal methotrexate injection was started on day 5 after admission and follow-up neuroimaging showed no signs of recurrence.

Conclusion:

IVLBCL presenting with CNS symptoms alone is rare and often has a poor prognosis associated with delayed diagnosis, and various evaluations (including systemic analysis) are therefore necessary for early diagnosis. FDG-PET, in addition to identification of clinical symptoms and evaluation of serum sIL-2R and CSF β2-MG, enables rapid therapeutic intervention in IVLBCL presenting with CNS symptoms.

Intravascular Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Review with a Focus on the Prognostic Value of Skin Involvement

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is an aggressive Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) characterised by the presence of neoplastic lymphoid cells within small- and medium-sized blood vessels. According to the clinical presentation, the current WHO classification distinguishes the 'classic' (formerly 'Western') from a hemophagocytic syndrome-associated (formerly 'Asian') variant. A third 'cutaneous' variant has been proposed, characterised by a good prognosis and unique clinical features. While laboratory findings can hint at diagnosis, symptoms are rather nonspecific, and deep skin biopsy supported by further measures such as bone marrow aspiration and positron emission tomography-computed tomography scanning is needed to make a definite diagnosis. Treatment is comprised of anthracycline-based chemotherapy supplemented with rituximab and central nervous system prophylaxis. While there are various prognostic models for NHL, only one is specific to IVLBCL, which does not sufficiently represent some patient groups, especially regarding the lack of differentiation within the patient collective with skin involvement. This underlines the necessity for the establishment of further prognostic models in particular for IVLBCL patients with cutaneous manifestations.

Episodic Visual Distortions and Stroke-Like Symptoms in a 56-Year-Old Man With Intravascular Lymphoma

A healthy 56-year-old man presented with vision changes and left upper extremity motor and sensory changes. MRI of the brain without contrast was significant for multifocal areas of restricted diffusion in multiple vascular territories. Neuro-Ophthalmic evaluation revealed an inferonasal visual field defect in the left eye, thickened choroid on optical coherence tomography, and bilateral delayed arteriovenous and choroidal filling on fluorescein angiogram. Repeat MRI demonstrated interval enlargement of many of the same foci of abnormal diffusion-weighted imaging signal. Computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis revealed 3 distinct lobulated retroperitoneal masses that were biopsied and found to be consistent with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Brain biopsy specimens showed intravascular lymphocytes, confirming a diagnosis of intravascular lymphoma (IVL). In this diagnostically challenging case, a link was established between the presence of multiple strokes (some of which showed slow evolution over time) and retinochoroidal hypoperfusion, which provided a critical clue to the ultimate diagnosis of IVL.

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma presenting as an isolated cauda equina-conus medullaris syndrome - A case report

Context: Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare form of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The central nervous system, skin and hematopoietic system are the most commonly affected sites. We report a case of IVLBCL presenting as a combined conus medullaris-cauda equina syndrome. Findings: A 55-year-old Caucasian male presented with signs and symptoms of a combined conus medullaris-cauda equina syndrome confirmed by MRI and needle EMG. PET scan revealed a hyperactive focus in the adrenal gland, and biopsy showed evidence of IVLBCL. Therapy with R-CHOP resulted in improvement of weakness. Conclusion: A high index of suspicion and consideration of IVLBCL in the differential for patients with these isolated spinal cord symptoms and CSF findings may help initiate early and suitable therapy which has been proven to be beneficial.

Primary lung intravascular large B-Cell lymphoma clinically mimicking sarcoidosis: A rare case report and review of literature

We present a case of a 73-year-old male who initially presented with night sweats, intermittent fever, worsening dry cough and shortness of breath. CT scans revealed atelectasis and calcified mediastinal lymphadenopathy, raising a suspicion for sarcoidosis. Multiple lung biopsies were performed. Microscopically, atypical lymphocytes were identified within capillaries, small arteries and veins. These lymphocytes were large with prominent nucleoli. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated tumor cells positive for CD20, CD79a, Pax-5, CD10 and Mum-1, while negative for CD3, cytokeratin, S100, and CD34. LDH serum level was increased (480 IU/L). Extra pulmonary lymphoma was not detected elsewhere in the patient. These findings support the diagnosis of primary lung intravascular large B cell lymphoma (IVLBCL). Literature review of 52 cases demonstrated occurrence of primary lung IVBCL in patients between the ages (35–85) with a slight male predominance (1.167:1). The most common clinical presentation was fever associated with dyspnea.

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma presenting as Richter's syndrome with cerebral involvement in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is an aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma which can present with B symptoms, rash, and neurological deterioration. Up to 10% of cases of IVLBCL are associated with other hematological neoplasms, including this extremely rare presentation of IVLBCL as Richter's transformation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Unusual Presentation of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma With Splenic Infarcts

A 67-year-old man presented with a 3-day history of abdominal pain, fever, and significant weight loss over 2 months. Physical examination revealed left upper quadrant tenderness, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, and bilateral pitting edema but peripheral lymphadenopathy was absent. Laboratory tests showed anemia, thrombocytopenia, elevated prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), and increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). PTT was corrected completely in mixing study. Further workup for the cause of coagulopathy revealed decreased levels of all clotting factors except factor VIII and increase fibrinogen levels, which ruled out disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Flow cytometry of peripheral blood was normal. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) revealed splenomegaly with multiple splenic infarcts without any mediastinal or intraabdominal lymphadenopathy. Further investigations for infective endocarditis (blood cultures and transthoracic echocardiography) and autoimmune disorders (ANA, dsDNA, RA factors) were negative. The patient received treatment for sepsis empirically without any significant clinical improvement. The diagnosis remained unclear despite extensive workup and liver biopsy was conducted due to high suspicion of granulomatous diseases. However, the liver biopsy revealed high-grade diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Unfortunately, patient died shortly after the diagnosis. Here we report a case of high-grade DLBCL with hepatosplenomegaly and splenic infarcts in the absence of any lymphadenopathy or focal lesions. This case highlights the fact that unusually lymphoma can present in the absence of lymphadenopathy or mass lesion mimicking autoimmune and granulomatous disorders. The diagnosis in these cases can only be made on histology, and hence the threshold for biopsy should be low in patients with unclear presentations and multiorgan involvement.

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma in the United States (US): a population-based study using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program and National Cancer Database

A population-based study of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) in the US was conducted to determine incidence, demographic and clinical characteristics, prognostic factors, and survival compared with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified (DLBCL NOS). In the years 2000-2013, the age-adjusted incidence rate of IVLBCL was 0.095 (case/1,000,000). The incidence of IVLBCL increased significantly from 2000 to 2013 (annual percentage change = 9.84, p = 0.002). We identified 344 patients with IVLBCL. The median age at diagnosis was 70 years. The median 1, 3, and 5-year OS rates for IVLBCL were 66.2, 51.8, and 46.3%, respectively. After propensity matching, the 5-year overall survival of IVLBCL was comparable to DLBCL NOS (46.4 versus 46.5%, p = 0.53). On multivariate analysis advanced age, advanced stage and having Medicaid or Medicare insurance predicted worse OS, whereas female gender and use of radiation therapy predicted better OS.

Retrospective study of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma cases diagnosed in Quebec: A retrospective study of 29 case reports

INTRODUCTION

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVL) is an extremely rare malignancy, mainly studied through European and Asian series. Due to the low incidence of this condition, our understanding of the clinical presentation as well as the management of IVL relies on a limited number of patients.We report the largest North American study to date on IVL with 29 cases from Quebec hospital diagnosed between 1990 and 2016. The aim of our study is to describe the clinical presentations, diagnostic and staging procedures, therapeutic management and clinical outcomes of IVL patients in our population and compare the disease phenotype to European and Asian series reported.In our cohort, all patients had stage IV IVL at diagnosis, with a median age of 66.7 years (range 47.2-90.8). Clinical presentation was characterized by constitutional symptoms (100%), poor ECOG-PS (100% ≥ 2), cytopenias (93% anemia), and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (97%) and C-reactive protein (96%). Our cohort presented with mainly cutaneous and neurological symptoms. However, neurological involvement (75.9%) was predominant and no "cutaneous variant" was observed; this differs from European literature, where "classical" IVL is reported with mainly cutaneous involvement. Two of our Caucasian patients presented "Asian variant" IVL; this observation is not unusual, as cases of "classical" IVL have been reported in Asians and "Asian variant" IVL has been reported in Europeans. All patients were classified according to their immunophenotypic features in 3 different subgroups (CD5 or CD5CD10, CD5CD10, CD5CD10) with no difference in outcome. Finally, 62% of our cohort received anthracycline-based chemotherapy and 53% of them achieved a complete response. After a median follow-up of 328 days, OS at 3 years was 42.7% for the entire cohort and 47.4% for the cases with in vivo diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

Unlike European studies on "classical" IVL, our study showed that the French Canadian presentation of this subtype of IVL is more frequently observed with neurological rather than cutaneous involvement. Finally, an early diagnosis is of primary importance since almost a quarter of patients receive a post-mortem diagnosis. A prompt diagnosis allows the introduction of an early treatment, associated with a CR in 53% of patients.

[Case of CNS-limited ANCA-associated vasculitis presenting as recurrent ischemic stroke]

A 73-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of a decrease in spontaneity. His medical history included two stroke episodes, probably related to hypertension. Brain MRI on admission demonstrated acute infarction in the right caudate nucleus and left putamen. Intravenous infusion of a low molecular-weight heparin added to oral antiplatelets was started. Following admission, he developed a low grade fever and severe inflammatory reaction. The focus of infection was not evident, and none of the antibiotics tried were effective. Ten days after admission, he developed right hemiparesis, and an additional brain MRI showed new multiple infarctions. We also determined the presence of a high MPO-ANCA titer (57 EU), and we diagnosed the patient's condition to be ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Steroid therapy improved his inflammatory reaction and stroke recurrence was not observed. We suggest that vasculitis should be considered as a potential risk factor for repeated small infarctions with fever of unknown origin, especially those of perforating artery territories.

Intravascular Lymphoma with Conus Medullaris Syndrome Followed by Encephalopathy

Background:

Intravascular large cell lymphoma (ILCL) is a diagnostic challenge, with neurological, cutaneous and constitutional symptoms. The natural history is usually an evolution to a comatose state. As invasive procedures are usually required for diagnosis, recognizing the typical clinical pattern is critical since an effective treatment is available.

Method:

After an extensive literature review of the subject, we report a case of ILCL, analyzing clinical, laboratory, radiological and pathological data. We will also give a special attention to the clinical picture of a conus medullaris (CM) lesion with subsequent encephalopathy in the same patient.

Results:

We report here a 61-year-old woman with a paraplegia caused by a CM lesion, evolving about one year latter to encephalopathy and eventual coma, with the diagnosis of ILCL confirmed by autopsy. The present case is similar to eight other cases in literature who had CM lesion associated with ILCL, knowing that 80-90% of these patients will eventually evolve to encephalopathy without treatment. Conclusions: ILCL is a recognized but rare cause of coma. Diagnosing it is tremendously important since it is fatal if left untreated. We propose that this specific picture (conus medullaris lesion, eventually evolving to encephalopathy) is quite characteristic and will directly result in better outcome if recognized.

[Case of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) with central nervous system symptoms diagnosed by renal biopsy]

A 60-year-old man was admitted to our hospital complaining of fever, headache and vertigo. Neurological examination on admission showed mild ataxic gait. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed linear high intensity in the left parietal lobe on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and laboratory data revealed elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase and soluble interleukin-2 receptor. Although intravascular lymphoma was suspected from these findings, bone marrow and skin biopsies were negative. Two months later, he presented with sensory disturbance of the left upper limb, and new lesions in the right frontal and bilateral parietal lobes were detected on DWI. A systemic evaluation showed multiple low-density lesions in the bilateral kidneys on computed tomography. Based on the results of a renal biopsy, we made a histological diagnosis of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL). As IVLBCL is quite rare and often has a poor prognosis, a systemic evaluation to determine the proper biopsy site is needed for early diagnosis.

Intravascular large B cell lymphoma

Intravascular large B cell lymphoma (IVBCL) is a rare type of extranodal large B cell lymphoma characterized by selective growth of lymphoma cells within the microvasculature. We present an illustrative case of intravascular B cell lymphoma suspected by the presence of a very small monoclonal B cell population identified by immunophenotype and polymerase chain reaction in bone marrow. The diagnosis was confirmed by skin biopsy.

Intravascular Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Difficult Diagnostic Challenge

Case Presentation. A 69-year-old Hispanic male, with a past history of diabetes and coronary disease, was admitted for fever, diarrhea, and confusion of 4 weeks duration. Physical examination showed a disoriented patient with multiple ecchymoses, possible ascites, and bilateral scrotal swelling. Hemoglobin was 6.7, prothrombin time (PT) 21.4 seconds with international normalized ratio 2.1, partial thromboplastin time (PTT) 55.6 seconds, fibrin split 10 µg/L, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) 1231 IU/L. Except for a positive DNA test for Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection, extensive diagnostic workup for infections, malignancy, or a neurological cause was negative. Mixing studies revealed a nonspecific inhibitor of PT and PTT but Factor VIII levels were normal. The patient was empirically treated with antibiotics but developed hypotension and died on day 27 of admission. At autopsy, patient was found to have intravascular diffuse large B-cell lymphoma involving skin, testes, lung, and muscles. The malignant cells were positive for CD20, CD791, Mum-1, and Pax-5 and negative for CD3, CD5, CD10, CD30, and Bcl-6. The malignant cells were 100% positive for Ki-67. Discussion. Intravascular large cell B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is rare form of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and tends to proliferate within small blood vessels, particularly capillaries and postcapillary venules. The cause of its affinity for vascular bed remains unknown. In many reports, IVLBCL was associated with HIV, HHV8, and EBV infections. The fact that our case showed evidence of EBV infection lends support to the association of this diagnosis to viral illness. The available literature on this subject is scant, and in many cases, the diagnosis was made only at autopsy. The typical presentation of this disorder is with B symptoms, progressive neurologic deficits, and skin findings. Bone marrow, spleen, and liver are involved in a minority of patients. Nearly all patients have elevated LDH, and about 65% are anemic. About 20% have hepatic and renal dysfunction. The treatment consists of systemic chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone plus rituximab (CHOP-R) and central nervous system prophylaxis. Retrospective data suggests that, with treatment, 51% to 82% of the patients achieve a complete remission and 27% to 56% are alive at 2-year follow-up. Conclusion. IVLBCL is a difficult diagnosis to make as the disease remains confined to the vascular lumen. It may be associated with certain viral illnesses, and this association needs to be explored further. It is important to consider this diagnosis in the appropriate settings because patients may achieve durable remissions with therapy.

A case of large B-cell intravascular lymphoma in the brain

BACKGROUND

Intravascular lymphoma is a rare and fatal disease that can have central nervous system (CNS) manifestations. It is usually a diagnosis made postmortem. This is partly due to its varied presentation, which lends itself to the complexity of diagnosis.

CASE DESCRIPTION

We report a rare case of intravascular lymphoma in the brain found antemortem.

CONCLUSION

Review of the literature shows that a timely diagnostic tissue biopsy together with aggressive combination chemotherapy treatment can improve patient outcome.

Hepatic manifestations in hematological disorders

Liver involvement is often observed in several hematological disorders, resulting in abnormal liver function tests, abnormalities in liver imaging studies, or clinical symptoms presenting with hepatic manifestations. In hemolytic anemia, jaundice and hepatosplenomegaly are often seen mimicking liver diseases. In hematologic malignancies, malignant cells often infiltrate the liver and may demonstrate abnormal liver function test results accompanied by hepatosplenomegaly or formation of multiple nodules in the liver and/or spleen. These cases may further evolve into fulminant hepatic failure.

Pulmonary hypertension in a patient with intravascular lymphomatosis

Intravascular lymphomatosis (IVL) is a rare subtype of lymphoma characterized by proliferation of lymphoma cells into small vessels. Clinical presentations of IVL are considerably varied among patients, and antemortem diagnosis is sometimes difficult. We report a 75-year-old Japanese female who presented with gradually worsening shortness of breath and pulmonary hypertension. After routine examinations, the patient was diagnosed with pulmonary artery hypertension (PH) combined with pulmonary hypertension owing to left-sided heart disease possibly due to chronic atrial fibrillation. However, a standard therapy of PH and diuretics was ineffective. In the clinical course, sustained increase in serum lactate dehydrogenase level, progressive bicytopenia, and appearance of atypical cells in her peripheral blood led to the diagnosis of IVL. The symptoms, laboratory findings and PH improved after initial chemotherapy. <Learning objective: Pulmonary artery hypertension (PH) has been focused in cardiovascular diseases and considerable progress in diagnosis and treatment was achieved. The targets of the treatment are PH and underlying causes of PH. The prevalence and frequency of the underlying causes extensively vary. However, considering that PH is a progressive and fatal disease if untreated, sufficient evaluation and optimal treatments are essential. Intravascular lymphomatosis might be considered to have a potential to cause PH.>.

Sellar and parasellar intravascular lymphoma mimicking pituitary apoplexy

BACKGROUND

Intravascular lymphoma (IVL) is a rare subtype of large-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, characterized by proliferation of lymphoma cells within the lumina of small vessels. There are no previously reported cases of IVL involving the pituitary gland presenting with neuro-ophthalmic findings.

METHODS

A 68-year-old female presented with headache, right third nerve palsy, and Horner syndrome. MRI showed a 1.4-cm sellar mass consistent with a pituitary macroadenoma. Two weeks later, despite treatment with dexamethasone, the patient developed complete bilateral ophthalmoplegia and ptosis. Repeat MRI showed invasion of the clivus and cavernous sinuses, and a transsphenoidal pituitary biopsy was undertaken.

RESULTS

The preliminary histopathology was consistent with bland pituitary apoplexy, but subsequent examination of an incidentally biopsied nasal polyp revealed endovascular malignant lymphoid cells that, on further scrutiny, were also present in the pituitary tissue. The diagnosis of IVL was confirmed, and the patient had an excellent clinical and radiological response to cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisolone, and rituximab (CHOP-R) chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

IVL may involve the pituitary gland, causing sellar mass effect, cavernous sinus infiltration, and pituitary ischemia, mimicking pituitary apoplexy with neuro-ophthalmic features. It can be effectively treated with CHOP-R chemotherapy.

Status epilepticus as the initial presentation of intravascular lymphoma

Intravascular lymphoma (IVL) is a rare disease form of malignant lymphoma, and it is characterised by the selective growth of lymphoma cells within the lumina of vessels. Identification of this disease at an early stage is difficult because of non-specific clinical symptoms and neuroradiological findings. Most reported IVL cases are diagnosed at post-mortem following autopsy. We report the case of a patient who presented with status epilepticus (SE) as the initial manifestation of IVL. Despite the administration of anti-convulsant agents and general care the patient's condition deteriorated rapidly after admission, culminating in death due to respiratory failure and heart failure 21 days after the onset of symptoms. Post-mortem examination revealed IVL in the brain and multiple organs. Epileptic seizures often appear during the clinical course of IVL; however, they occur most frequently at advanced stages. Diagnosis of IVL that first presents with SE is of clinical importance because the treatment and prognosis of acute SE arising from IVL are different from those of SE originating from other causes.

[A case of intravascular malignant lymphoma with initial progressive non-specific neurological symptoms]

A 79-year-old woman was admitted to a nearby hospital for seven days due to low-grade fever, loss of appetite and general fatigue. She was diagnosed with normal condition and discharged. She was admitted to our hospital one week later with disturbed consciousness. Laboratory findings upon admission revealed anemia, elevated alanine amino transferase, elevated total birirubin and thrombocytopenia. Abdominal CT demonstrated multiple low intensity lesions in the liver. Enhanced brain CT revealed multiple lesions with increased signal intensity lesions in the white matter and cortex. The value of soluble IL-2 receptor antibody was 16,000U/ml. Intravascular lymphoma was suspected because of brain CT finding and IL-2 receptor antibody titer. Methylprednisolone pulse therapy was started considering her age and general condition, but she was died thirteen days after admission. Postmorten examination revealed widespread intravascular aggregation of malignant lymphoma cells in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, bladder, ovary and stomach indicating a diagnosis of an Asian variant of intravascular large B cell lymphoma (AIVL). Neurological abnormalities are not usually associated with AIVL, but this patient had rare AIVL presenting with initial progressive nonspecific neurological symptoms.

Splenic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma without organomegaly: occult presentation with fatal course and post-mortem diagnosis

Splenic lymphoma without splenomegaly is uncommon. We report the case of a 68-year-old female who presented with fulminant B symptoms and thrombocytopenia, only to be found to have micronodular large B-cell lymphoma of the spleen post-mortem. Diagnosis of this rare entity remains difficult and overall prognosis is poor.

Involvement of bone marrow with intravascular large B-cell lymphoma

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare subtype of extranodal large B-cell lymphoma characterized by a selective proliferation of lymphoma cells within the lumina of vessels. We report a case of an 86-year-old man who presented with fever, shortness of breath and altered mental status. The diagnosis of IVLBCL was confirmed on a bone trephine biopsy that revealed positivity of CD20 and PAX5 immunohistochemical staining of lymphoma cells confined within the lumina of vessels. The patient had a rapidly deteriorating clinical course with a fatal outcome even before the specific treatment for the underlying disease was commenced.

Usefulness of Bone Marrow Aspiration for Definite Diagnosis of Asian Variant of Intravascular Lymphoma: Four Autopsied Cases

The Asian variant of intravascular lymphoma (AIVL) is characterized by hemophagocytic syndrome, pancytopenia and hepatosplenomegaly but usually lacks any neurological abnormality and skin lesions, which are typical features of classical intravascular lymphoma (IVL). An ante-mortem diagnosis of AIVL is difficult due to the absence of visible lymphoma lesions and unspecific clinical manifestations. A definite diagnosis relies on the presence of neoplastic B cells in the lumina of small vessels. Paraffin block samples of aspirated bone marrow clots were obtained from 4 patients with clinically suspected IVL and subjected to immunohistopathological analysis. All samples exhibited CD 20+ or CD 79a+ lymphoma cells proliferating intravascularly as well as erythrocytic hemophagocytosis. The distribution of neoplastic cells in the structure of the bone marrow allowed IVL to be distinguished from bone marrow invasions due to other types of lymphoma. We demonstrated the successful establishment of a definite ante-mortem diagnosis of AIVL in 3 of 4 patients by the rapid and simple method of using aspirated bone marrow samples.

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma as a cause of hypopituitarism: gradual and late reversal of hypopituitarism after long-term remission of lymphoma with immunochemotherapy

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVL) is a rare generally fatal disease characterized by massive proliferation of lymphoid cells within the small and medium blood vessels. Hypopituitarism has been reported only in a few fatal cases. We describe the clinical course of hypopituitarism as a complication of IVL, successfully treated with immunochemotherapy (cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/prednisone-CHOP) plus Rituximab anti-CD20 humanized antibody). Before immunochemotherapy, basal hormonal analysis and dynamic test for pituitary function were performed in a 67-year-old female with IVL. Endocrinological evaluation of the pituitary function was repeated after complete hematological remission and during the 2 years of follow-up. Multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies were diagnosed before therapy for IVL. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the pituitary gland showed partially empty sella. The patient was replaced with thyroxine 50 microg/day and prednisone 5 mg/day between the cycles of chemotherapy. After complete hematological remission (6 months after initial diagnosis) reversal of cortisol and gonadotropin deficiency occurred. After 18 months of hematological remission there was further improvement in growth hormone (GH) response to provocative testings (partial GH deficiency), with normalization of somatotropic and thyreotropic axis after 2 years of follow-up. This is the first case of IVL complicated with hypopituitarism, treated with immunochemotherapy which resulted in complete hematological remission and gradual and late reversal of hypopituitarism.

[Intravascular B-cell lymphoma with febrile inflammatory lymphoedema of the lower limbs and lower back]

BACKGROUND

Intravascular lymphomas are diffuse large-cell lymphomas belonging to a group of high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and are generally of phenotype B. They are rare and carry a severe prognosis. Clinical polymorphism is dominated by neurological and cutaneous involvement.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We report the case of an 80-year-old woman with cutaneous intravascular B-cell lymphoma as revealed by an isolated episode of febrile bilateral inflammatory lymphoedema. Following combined chemotherapy with rituximab and mini-CHOP (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, oncovin and prednisone), complete remission was obtained rapidly, with no relapse at two years.

DISCUSSION

Diagnosis of these tumours is rendered difficult by the clinical polymorphism and multifocal nature of lymphocytic proliferations. In the present case, diagnosis was based on histology results since presentation of the disease in the form of bilateral inflammatory oedema of the lower limbs is not sufficient to establish lymphoma. Combined rituximab and polychemotherapy comprising a CHOP regimen appears to yield the best results.

Rapidly progressive dementia

Rapidly progressive dementias (RPDs) are neurologic conditions that develop subacutely over weeks to months or, rarely, acutely over days. In contrast to most dementing conditions that take years to progress to death, RPD quickly can be fatal. It is critical to evaluate patients who have RPD without delay, usually in a hospital setting, as they may have a treatable condition. This review discusses a differential diagnostic approach to RPD, emphasizing neurodegenerative, toxic and metabolic, infectious, autoimmune, neoplastic, and other conditions to consider.

Skin manifestations of intravascular lymphoma mimic inflammatory diseases of the skin

BACKGROUND

Intravascular lymphoma (IVL) is fatal when it is diagnosed late in the course. Sometimes skin lesions enable early diagnosis, but criteria for diagnosis are not well established.

OBJECTIVES

To demonstrate the clinical spectrum of skin lesions of IVL and to correlate it with clinical outcome; to identify features differentiating between B-cell and T-cell IVL with skin involvement.

METHODS

Review of 97 articles reporting on total of 224 patients with IVL.

RESULTS

Skin lesions were mentioned in 90 of 224 patients. They were nodules and/or plaques (49%) or macules (22.5%) of red (31%) or blue to livid (19%) colour on the leg (35%), the thigh (41%) and the trunk (31%). Telangiectases were present in only 20% of the patients. Oedema (27.5%) of the legs and pain (24%) were often accompanying. No criteria enabled distinction between lesions restricted to the skin and skin lesions concurrent with IVL in other organs, but when the disease was restricted to the skin, the prognosis was favourable (10% vs. 85% fatal outcome). Skin lesions of T-cell IVL are indistinguishable from those of B-cell IVL.

CONCLUSIONS

Forty per cent of all patients with IVL have skin lesions, these being red, sometimes painful plaques located typically on the lower extremities, accompanied by oedema. A clinician risks misinterpreting these changes as thrombophlebitis, erythema nodosum or erysipelas. Neither clinical course nor differentiation of the lymphoma can be predicted from the morphology of skin lesions, but involvement of other organs at the time of diagnosis indicates a poor prognosis.

Intravascular lymphoma: the oncologist's "great imitator"

Intravascular lymphoma (IVL) is a rare subtype of extranodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with a distinct presentation. Anatomically the disease is characterized by the proliferation of clonal lymphocytes within small vessels with relative sparing of the surrounding tissue. The clinical symptoms of the disease are dependent on the specific organ involvement, which most often includes the central nervous system and skin. Because of the various modes of presentation and the rarity of IVL, the diagnosis is often made postmortem. The diagnosis is almost exclusively made by surgical biopsy of a suspected site of involvement. Advances in imaging and immunohistochemistry have led to increasing antemortem diagnosis of this lymphoma. Although some patients with this disease may be curable with aggressive therapy, further research into novel treatment strategies is needed to improve outcome. Some potential insights into future therapies may be drawn from the small amount of basic science literature relevant to this entity. This review provides a concise, up-to-date summary of IVL.

Signs of rapidly progressive dementia in a case of intravascular lymphomatosis

Intravascular lymphomatosis (IVL), a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is an uncommon cause of progressive dementia, usually followed by death within a few months of onset of clinical disease. Often this aggressive tumor is only diagnosed at autopsy, because of misleading clinical features mimicking a broad spectrum of syndromes and the absence of circulating lympoma cells in the blood, bone marrow or cerebrospinal fluid in many cases. Here we present IVL in a 78-year-old woman with findings leading to the clinical diagnosis of vascular dementia with sudden beginning and positive 14-3-3 protein in the CSF, commonly reported in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).

Intravascular lymphomatosis presenting with sudden hearing loss

Intravascular lymphoma (IVL) is a rare disorder characterized by the aggregation of malignant large cell lymphoma cells in small vessels. Neurological manifestations are typically the initial and, often the only, clinically obvious consequences of this malignancy. Diagnosis is dependent on biopsy or postmortem demonstration of the intravascular tumor. We report a patient in whom sudden hearing loss heralded IVL and propose that the hearing loss may have been the consequence of labyrinthine infarction consequent to the aggregation of malignant cells in the internal auditory artery.

Intravascular Lymphomatosis Mimicking Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis: A Case Report

We describe the clinical, radiologic, and postmortem findings in a 49-year-old woman with intravascular lymphomatosis. The patient presented with progressive limb weakness followed by progressive disseminated cerebral neurologic symptoms. Disseminated encephalomyelitis was suspected due to the clinical and radiologic findings. Steroid pulse therapy and intravenous immunoglobulin were given but did not help. The patient died of multiple organ failure 3 months after the onset of symptoms. A diagnosis of disseminated intravascular large B-cell lymphomatosis was established based on findings from histopathology and immunohistochemistry studies on autopsy specimens of the brain and other visceral organs collected postmortem.

[Stroke-like presentation of cerebral lymphoma]

INTRODUCTION

The clinical presentation of primary cerebral lymphoma can take on many forms.

CASE REPORT

We report the case of a patient who experienced recurrent neurological events mimicking stroke with normal brain MRI. A late performed MRI showed a mesencephalic lesion. A biopsy was obtained and led to the diagnosis of primary B cell lymphoma.

CONCLUSION

This observation illustrates the diagnostic challenge of this rare disorder with a poor prognosis.

Usefulness of FDG-PET to diagnose intravascular lymphomatosis presenting as fever of unknown origin

Intravascular lymphomatosis (IVL) is a rare systemic disease characterized by proliferation of lymphoid cells within the lumina of small arteries, veins, and capillaries. Diagnosis requires skin, liver, lung, bone marrow, renal, meningeal, or brain vessel biopsy but is often made only when the illness has progressed or post mortem because early involvement of organs was not evident. We report a case of IVL presenting as fever of unknown origin (FUO). In this case, gallium scintigraphy and computed tomography (CT) showed no evidence of malignancy, whereas (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) showed increased FDG uptake in the sternum, left and right vertebra, humerus, femur, and especially ilium. The diagnosis was made on iliac bone marrow biopsy examination. FDG-PET was useful for the detection of spread of disease in a patient with IVL suffering from FUO.

Intravascular lymphomatosis

Intravascular lymphomatosis (IVL) is a rare angiotrophic large cell lymphoma producing vascular occlusion of arterioles, capillaries, and venules. Antigenic phenotyping shows that these lymphomas are mostly of B cell type, and less commonly T cell or Ki-1 lymphomas. The central nervous system and skin are the two most commonly affected organs; patients usually present with progressive encephalopathy with mental status changes and focal neurological deficits and skin petechia, purpura, plaques, and discolouration. Other involved organs include adrenal glands, lungs, heart, spleen, liver, pancreas, genital tract, and kidneys. Bone marrow, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and lymph nodes are typically spared. Fever of unknown origin is another common presentation. Only one case of IVL presenting with disseminated intravascular coagulation and anasarca (generalised oedema) has been reported in the literature. This report describes a postmortem case of a patient with IVL who initially presented with disseminated intravascular coagulation complicated by intracerebral haemorrhage.

A new approach to the diagnosis and treatment of intravascular lymphoma

In intravascular lymphoma (IVL) tumor cells are initially restricted to vascular lumina. Neurological syndromes predominate and are caused by ischemia as well as tumor infiltration into the nervous system. Ante mortem diagnosis is challenging and frequently impossible. Chemotherapy is effective if started prior to ischemic damage. Over a three year period, we have diagnosed IVL in seven patients. Tissue diagnosis could be accomplished in only three cases. Forthose in whom tissue diagnosis failed we based our diagnosis on clinical presentation, typical magnetic resonance imaging findings, spinal fluid cytopathology, and molecular analyses. Six patients were treated with methotrexate chemotherapy alone or in combination with CHOP. Three patients are in complete remission 9-20 months after initial diagnosis. Another patient achieved a partial response. Two patients died due to progressive disease shortly after initiation of treatment. Grade III toxicity was observed in only 4 of 61 cycles. Based on a small retrospective series of patients, we conclude that methotrexate is a well tolerated and effective agent for the treatment of IVL.

Clinicopathological and immunophenotypical features of canine intravascular lymphoma (malignant angioendotheliomatosis)

Intravascular lymphoma (IVL) is a rare angiotropic large-cell lymphoma in which neoplastic lymphocytes proliferate within the lumina of blood vessels in the absence of a primary extravascular mass or leukaemia. A retrospective review of veterinary medical records identified 17 cases of canine IVL. Spinal cord ataxia (seven dogs), posterior paralysis (one dog), seizures (four dogs) and vestibular disease (three dogs) dominated the clinical presentation. Haemorrhage, ischaemia, and occasional foci of vascular proliferation were found in tissue sections from affected dogs. Vessels, predominantly veins, throughout the body were frequently filled with neoplastic lymphocytes. Splenic involvement occurred in only one of 10 cases examined and bone marrow involvement was absent in four cases examined. Formalin-fixed paraffin wax-embedded tissues from 15 cases were examined immunohistochemically with streptavidin-biotin-horseradish peroxidase and a catalysed signal amplification system. The neoplastic cells were classified in eight cases as T cells (CD3+/IgG-/CD79a-), in one case as B cells (CD3-/CD79a.dim/IgG+), and in the remaining six cases as non-T, non-B (CD3-/IgG-/CD79a-). The clinical and pathological features of canine IVL closely resembled those of the human disease. In striking contrast to human cases, which are most often B-cell lymphomas, the immunophenotypes of the canine IVLs in this series were heterogeneous. The canine IVLs were derived primarily from T cells and non-T, non-B lymphocytes, B cells being found in only a single instance.

Presentation of intravascular lymphomatosis as lumbosacral polyradiculopathy

A 53-year-old man developed progressive sensory disturbance and weakness in the legs, sphincter disturbance, back pain, systemic symptoms, and pancytopenia. Electrophysiological tests indicated a widespread lumbosacral polyradiculopathy. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging and routine cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed minor nonspecific abnormalities. Bone marrow and liver biopsies showed hemophagocytosis; and polymerase chain reaction of cerebrospinal fluid, bone marrow, and serum suggested active infection with human herpesvirus-6. Autopsy revealed that his neurological symptoms resulted from intravascular lymphomatosis (angiotropic large cell lymphoma), a rare variant of lymphoma with predilection for the nervous system.

Angiotropic large B-cell lymphoma with clinical features resembling subacute combined degeneration of the cord

Angiotropic large cell lymphoma is a rare neoplastic disorder associated with a high mortality. The hallmark of the disease is lymphoid proliferation confined to the intravascular compartment without local tissue or vessel wall infiltration [1]. This feature is so striking that the disease was originally thought to arise from endothelial tissue and early cases were described as malignant angioendotheliomatosis. However, application of immunohistochemical methods for detection of lymphoid markers such as the CD45 and CD20 cell surface markers has confirmed its lymphoid origin, usually of B-cell lineage [2]. Clinical manifestations of the disease are protean and are due to multifocal medium and small vessel occlusion by tumour cells [3]. Characteristic sites of involvement are skin and central nervous system and although an ante-mortem diagnosis can be made from a biopsy specimen, it is often unsuspected [4]. We present a case of angiotropic large B-cell lymphoma in a 74-year-old man who presented with urinary symptoms and had a neurological picture resembling subacute combined degeneration of the cord.

Intravascular lymphomatosis with bone marrow involvement

We describe the case of a 56-year-old man who presented with numbness and tingling of the extremities, weakness, and fatigue. Laboratory findings included anemia and thrombocytopenia. A diagnosis of intravascular lymphomatosis was established when liver, omentum, and bone marrow samples were examined. A review of the literature reveals that most cases of intravascular lymphomatosis have cytopenias, mainly anemia and thrombocytopenia, but bone marrow involvement is rare. In our case, a subtle neoplastic infiltrate in the marrow sinusoids was highlighted with a B-cell marker. While immunohistochemical analysis was not performed in most reported cases in the literature, our studies suggest that a systematic search in bone marrow of cases of intravascular lymphomatosis may reveal unsuspected neoplastic cells. We conclude that bone marrow involvement in intravascular lymphomatosis appears to be rare, has subtle features, and is difficult to diagnose if unsuspected and not searched for.