[Malignant lymphoma of the CNS - case report with pathological and immunological studies (author's transl)]

A 43-year-old man underwent a surgical total removal of a tumor followed by radiotherapy (a total of 6,000 rad of 60Co) and chemotherapy. In the preoperative CT scan, a well-defined, nodular-shaped tumor was found in the left parietal region. This tumor disappeared when the combination treatment had been completed. Subsequently, CT scan demonstrated multifocal tumors with involvement of the roof of the fourth ventricle, frontal cortex and lateral ventricle. The patient expired 20 months after the onset of symptoms. The tumors in the frontal lobes, left thalamus and subdural space of the upper cervical cord showed dense sheets of polymorphous, large to medium-sized lymphocytes. The microscopic findings were interpreted as showing malignant lymphoma, lymphocytic, poorly differentiated, diffuse. Immunologically, E rosettes were formed by sheep red blood cells around the tumor cells. Immunofluorescence technique failed to demonstrate IgG, IgM and/or IgA in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells. By scanning electron microscopy, the tumor cells were devoid of microvilli.