[Long term remission following relapsed CNS lymphoma]

A case of NHL which has been in long-term remission following vigorous treatment for CNS relapse with intrathecal administration of Ara-C and focal irradiation to the brain is presented. The patient was a 61-year-old man, who was successfully treated with CHOP followed by MACOP-B for diffuse large cell NHL in 1988. Five months later he was admitted to our hospital because of loss of visual acquity and numbness in the right upper and lower extremities. The presence of lymphoma cells in CSF, abnormal shadow in the left frontal lobe on a cranial CT scan and MRI scan, and positive Ga scintigraphy yielded a diagnosis of CNS relapse of NHL. Twenty one whole brain and additional 1.0Gy to the left frontal lobe of irradiation were performed. Eight days later the left tumor disappeared. Neurological remission was obtained and has continued until now.