Diagnostic impact of preoperative corticosteroids in primary central nervous system lymphoma

High dose corticosteroids are an effective tool for rapidly alleviating neurologic symptoms caused by intracranial mass lesions. However, there is concern that preoperative corticosteroids limit the ability to obtain a definitive pathologic diagnosis, particularly if imaging features suggest primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).

To explore the impact of preoperative corticosteroids in newly diagnosed PCNSL patients, from 2009 to 2018 treated at our institution.

We identified 54 patients; 18 had received corticosteroids prior to biopsy or resection. Only in one case did the patient have a prior non-diagnostic biopsy, requiring a second procedure. The cumulative doses of preoperative dexamethasone ranged from 4 mg to 120 mg (mean 32 mg, median 24 mg), given over 1-14 days (mean 2 days, median 1 day), and the majority had received corticosteroids for only 1-2 days. There was a trend for a larger diameter of lesional T1 contrast enhancement for patients who received steroids (39 mm vs. 34 mm, p = 0.11). In this series of cases with pathologically and clinically proven PCNSL, preoperative corticosteroids had been given in a third of cases, suggesting that they may be given for symptomatic relief without compromising pathologic diagnosis.

Despite the commonly held tenet that preoperative corticosteroids can obscure the pathologic diagnosis in PCNSL, this is likely not the case in the majority of patients who receive a short course preoperatively. Obtaining a second stereotactic scan to confirm continued presence of the lesion prior to tissue sampling may also mitigate these concerns.