[A case of neurolymphomatosis that was diagnosed by acoustic nerve biopsy]

Neurolymphomatosis diagnosed after a recurrence of facial palsy

Neurolymphomatosis (NL) is a rare complication of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, characterized by the infiltration of lymphoma cells into the peripheral nerves. A 54-year-old woman initially presented with right facial palsy without any other significant symptoms and was diagnosed with Bell's palsy. Despite initial improvement, her condition recurred, prompting further evaluation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed contrast enhancement from the tympanic segment to the surface of the masseter muscle along the right facial nerve and an adjacent mass lesion. Biopsy of the mass revealed a diagnosis of T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma. Chemotherapy resulted in complete resolution of facial palsy. Follow-up MRI confirmed the absence of contrast enhancement along the facial nerve. Facial palsy was considered to be caused by NL. This case was classified as that of primary NL because the facial palsy was the first manifestation of a hematologic malignancy. Recurrent facial palsy, which is atypical in Bell's palsy, led to further evaluation with MRI, which finally resulted in the diagnosis of malignant lymphoma. In cases of recurrent facial palsy, clinicians should consider various diagnoses, including that of NL, and advocate early imaging tests and biopsy, if possible, for accurate diagnosis and improved outcomes.

[Primary central nervous system lymphoma presenting as a unilateral internal auditory canal lesion: a case report]

A 61-year-old man with right hearing loss and staggering for seven months was diagnosed with sudden deafness although previous evaluation with MRI indicated minor abnormal findings. During follow-up, he developed hypogeusia, right facial nerve palsy, pain in right mandible, right-sided temporal pain, and cerebellar ataxia. Cerebrospinal fluid examination at admission revealed reduced glucose concentration and elevated soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) level, whereas serum sIL-2R level was within the normal range. Brain MRI showed a swollen contrast-enhanced lesion extending from the right internal auditory canal to the middle cerebellar peduncle. Gallium-67 (67Ga) single-photon emission-computed tomography-computed tomography (SPECT-CT) revealed abnormal accumulation at the lesion site. Pathologic analysis of the tumor after resection led to the diagnosis of primary central nervous system lymphoma. In the present case, the MRI and 67Ga SPECT-CT characteristics were distinct from those of vestibular schwannoma. In addition, elevation of sIL-2R in the cerebrospinal fluid but not in serum was useful for differential diagnosis.

A case report of secondary neurolymphomatosis showing selective nerve infiltration and massive lumbar plexus enlargement

Background

Neurolymphomatosis (NL) is a rare manifestation of malignant lymphoma that shows selective infiltration to the peripheral nervous system primarily or secondarily. We report a patient with secondary NL caused by germinal center B-cell (GCB)-type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who showed selective infiltration of the lumbar plexus to the spinal cord and massive nerve enlargement resulting in severe pain.

Case presentation

A 72-year-old female exhibited asymmetric motor and sensory impairments and pain in the lower limbs that progressed for five months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an enlarged lumbar plexus, which continued to the cauda equina via the L3 and L4 spinal nerves. Her symptoms gradually worsened. Ten months after the onset of symptoms, the enlarged cauda equina filled the spinal canal space, and the spinal cord was swollen. A cauda equina biopsy was performed, and she was diagnosed with GCB-type DLBCL with CD10 positivity. The primary tumor was found in a mammary cyst. The autopsy study did not show apparent infiltration, except in the nervous system.

Conclusions

Although there are many neurologic phenotypes of malignant lymphoma, the association between the cytological characteristics of lymphoma and the neurological phenotypes is still unclear. Several reports of CD10-positive secondary NL are available, whereas peripheral or central nervous tissue origin lymphoma cases are mostly negative for CD10. CD10 staining may be useful for distinguishing primary NL from secondary NL. NL often has a strong organotropism for peripheral nervous tissue, which makes early diagnosis challenging.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12883-021-02330-5.

A Case of Feline T-cell Lymphoma with Tropism for Striated Muscle and Peripheral Nerve

An 11-year-old female American shorthair cat was presented with a 3-month history of hindlimb ataxia and knuckling of the left forelimb. Clinical abnormalities included weight loss, hyperaesthesia of the neck and back, cardiac murmur and systemic muscle atrophy. The cat died 10 days after the initial presentation and a necropsy examination was performed. Grossly, extensive pale lesions were seen in the wall of the left ventricle and the septum of the heart. There were no detectable masses in the heart, skeletal muscles or peripheral nerves. Histopathological examination revealed diffuse, extensive infiltration of atypical lymphoid cells in the heart; the cardiac muscles were markedly degenerate and atrophic and were replaced by the neoplastic cells. Neoplastic cells with similar morphology were seen in all specimens of the skeletal muscles and peripheral nerves. Clonality analysis of the paraffin wax-embedded heart tissue revealed a monoclonal rearrangement of the gene encoding the T-cell receptor γ chain. Based on these findings, the case was diagnosed as T-cell lymphoma with tropism for striated muscle and peripheral nerve.

Primary neurolymphomatosis of the trigeminal nerve

We report a case of a primary malignant lymphoma of the trigeminal nerve that was associated with facial pain. A 65-year-old man was examined at another hospital for unilateral facial pain. Carbamazepine was prescribed, but his symptoms did not improve. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed swelling of the trigeminal nerve and a mass lesion in Meckel's cave. The patient was referred to our hospital at this point. Gadolinium-enhanced MRI and F18-Fluorodeoxyglucose-position emission tomography suggested a likely malignant tumour and a biopsy was performed. Histopathological examination showed diffuse a large B cell lymphoma. The patient was treated with high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) and radiotherapy. Despite responding well to initial treatment, the patient relapsed, with lymphoma observed throughout the body. He died of pneumonia 18 months after the initial diagnosis. Facial pain is a symptom that is commonly managed in general practice. If symptoms do not improve, repeated imaging studies, including contrast MRI, is warranted. This is the first reported case of primary neurolymphomatosis (NL) of the trigeminal nerve associated with facial pain alone. Furthermore, HD-MTX and radiotherapy may be considered for the management of primary NL of a cranial nerve.