Extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of malt type involving the cavernous sinus

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas are low-grade B-cell neoplasms that occur in a variety of extranodal sites. Only rarely has this entity been discovered as a primary tumor involving the dura of the cavernous sinus. We report the case of a 46 year old woman who presented with a mass involving the cavernous sinus that was originally diagnosed as a meningioma by MRI. However, at surgery the mass was found to be an extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the MALT type. The patient underwent partial excision of the lesion followed by radiation. There are only seven other cases of marginal zone B-cell lymphoma involving the intracranial dura reported in the literature. These patients were females who presented with intracranial lesions thought to be consistent with meningioma by preoperative radiographic imaging. MALT lymphomas of the dura, as their counterparts in other organs, appear to have favorable clinical outcomes and excellent long-term prognoses with local therapy alone.