Primary central nervous system lymphoma and other hemopoietic tumors

Introduction Leukemias, lymphomas, Hodgkin’s disease and other tumors of hemopoietic origin, when found in the CNS, usually represent metastases of tumor that started systemically. The metastases mostly affect the meninges, causing either

dural masses (e.g. plasmacytoma and Hodgkin’s disease)1 or diffusely seeding the leptomeninges (e.g. leukemia and lymphoma). Occasionally, hemopoietic tumors arise within the CNS (Fig. 11.1), with no systemic tumor being identified either at initial workup or, in most cases, even at autopsy.2,3 The most

common hemopoietic tumor to arise within the CNS is the primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) (Table 11.1).