Late-Onset Central Nervous System Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder After Lung Transplantation:A Case...

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is caused by uncontrolled proliferation of lymphoid cells after a hematopoietic stem cell or solid organ transplant procedure related to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. A primary central nervous system (CNS) PTLD (CNS-PTLD) is rare and important to distinguish from an intracranial lesion after transplantation. A 66-year-old man with pulmonary arterial hypertension who underwent living-donor lung transplantation 9 years prior noticed disorientation regarding route and dates. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple white matter lesions and fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography showed FDG uptake in the brain and skin. CNS-PTLD was diagnosed by craniotomy biopsy and EBV-encoded RNA was positive in in situ hybridization findings and elevated in brain tissue. The treatment was started with immunosuppressant reduction and whole brain radiotherapy. But the condition progressed rapidly over 2 months after the first symptom and the patient was passed away 25 days after hospitalization. CNS-PTLD can occur several years after transplantation and it is necessary to keep in mind to distinguish brain disease because early diagnosis and treatment are important.