General Information
Central nervous system lymphoma is a rare non-Hodgkin lymphoma in which malignant (cancer) cells from lymph tissue form in the brain and/or spinal cord (primary CNS) or spread from other parts of the body to the brain and/or spinal cord (secondary CNS). Because the eye is so close to the brain, primary CNS lymphoma can also start in the eye (called ocular lymphoma). The cancer can also involve the spinal fluid that bathes the spinal cord and brain. This is called leptomeningeal lymphoma.
Both primary and secondary CNS lymphomas are rare diseases. The cancer is a form of extranodal, high-grade non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma. Most forms of CNS lymphoma (about 90 percent) are diffuse large B-cell lymphomas; the remaining ten percent are poorly characterized low-grade lymphomas, Burkitt lymphomas and T-cell lymphomas.
Central nervous system lymphoma is more common in men than women. The median age of diagnosis is 55; the median age of AIDS-infected patients with primary CNS lymphoma is 35.
Causes and Risk Factors
Although the exact causes of CNS lymphoma are not known, there are several factors that may increase a person’s risk for developing the disease, such as having a compromised immune system due to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), other disorders of the immune system, or chronic immunosuppression (a reduced function of the immune system) as a result of organ transplantation.
Symptoms
The symptoms of CNS lymphoma depend on the location of the tumor. Patients may experience nausea and vomiting, leg and arm weakness, seizures, headaches, changes in mental alertness or confusion, facial weakness, double vision and hearing loss and/or swallowing difficulties. Patients with ocular lymphoma may notice blurry vision and patients with lymphoma involving their spinal cord or spinal fluid may experience back pain, leg weakness or incontinence.
*Information cited from Leukemia & Lymphoma Society under Link