Extranodal Lymphoma of the Central Nervous System and Spine

With a strong predilection for immunocompromised groups and a poorly explained increase in prevalence among those with normal immune status, lymphoma now accounts for approximately 6% of all primary brain tumors. Recent advances in multiagent chemotherapy and monoclonal antibody therapy have promoted longer-term survival, although a definitive cure remains elusive. Extranodal lymphoma of the spine is more often caused by secondary dissemination from systemic disease and less often the primary site of origin. This article reviews a broad spectrum of clinical, etiologic, and pathologic features that frequently intersect with common radiologic findings of this disease.