[Primary malignant lymphomas of the central nervous system (author's transl)]

9 primary malignant lymphomas of the CNS were found at autopsies. The youngest patient was 4 months and the oldest 69 years of age. The lymphomas were classified in accordance with the Kiel classification. Most of them were immunoblastomas and immunocytomas. The neoplastic transformation seems to start in the adventitia of the blood vessels. From there the tumour cells invade the brain tissue and the meninges. A multifocal origin of primary lymphomas of the CNS has been seen in some cases. An isolated development of primary lymphomas of the spinal cord is not present in our material. The pathogenesis of the primary malignant lymphomas of the CNS is discussed.