Neurological complications of peripheral and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas

To determine the frequency and pattern of neurological complications of T-cell lymphoma (TCL), we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 316 patients with TCL diagnosed between January 1984 and May 1991. Disease entities not included in this study were lymphoblastic lymphoma, primary central nervous system lymphoma, CD30-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma, and lymphomas secondary to human immunodeficiency virus or human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I. Cases were classified as having direct complications (parenchymal, leptomeningeal, epidural, or peripheral) or indirect complications (paraneoplastic, disease related, or treatment related). Preexisting neurological conditions were excluded. The overall rate of neurological complications was 7.9%. The frequency of neurological complications in peripheral TCL and cutaneous TCL was 17% and 3%, respectively, with at least half of the neurological complications in both conditions due to direct involvement of the nervous system. Direct neurological complications of TCL were primarily due to leptomeningeal and parenchymal involvement. There were no cases of epidural spinal cord disease.