Twenty-year survival following excision of primary CNS lymphoma without radiation therapy: case report

The prognosis of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCL) is very poor with a mean survival of 3-6 months without treatment and 15-45 months following radiation therapy. PCL is very sensitive to radiation therapy, but recurrence is frequent. A response of the tumour to steroids has also been documented. This report describes a patient who had surgery for a solitary PCL without subsequent radiation therapy or steroid medication and who had no evidence of tumour recurrence 16 years later. He remains well 20 years after surgery. No case of long-term survival following surgery alone for PCL has been reported previously. Surgical excision may have a place in the management of solitary PCL.