De novo primary malignant lymphoma of the dura following recurrent episodes of subdural abscess presenting as chronic subdural hematoma: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: Chronic inflammation of the thorax, as in tuberculosis-related pyothorax, can cause secondary malignant lymphomas. However, primary malignant lymphoma of the central nervous system, specifically of the dura mater, developing after intracranial infection or inflammation has rarely been reported. Herein, the authors describe a case of primary dural lymphoma that developed secondary to subdural empyema, with an initial presentation mimicking a chronic subdural hematoma. OBSERVATIONS: A 51-year-old man had undergone single burr hole drainage for subdural empyema 2 years prior. The patient subsequently underwent multiple craniotomy and drainage procedures, with successful remission of the subdural empyema. He was subsequently referred to the authors' hospital approximately a year after his initial treatment because of a recollection of subdural fluid, which was suspected to be recurrent empyema. After another single burr hole drainage, which revealed only a subdural hematoma, a histopathological diagnosis of B-cell lymphoma of the dural/subdural membrane was made. Subsequent radiation therapy was completed, with good local control and no recurrence of the subdural hematoma confirmed at 2 months posttreatment. LESSONS: Intracranial lymphoma triggered by chronic inflammation is rare but should be considered a differential diagnosis in subdural hematomas for which the background pathology is unclear. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE24153.

Case report of an elderly woman with atypical imaging for primary central nervous system lymphoma who needed a brain biopsy for diagnosis.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but its diagnosis is challenging in some cases. A brain biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosing PCNSL, but its invasiveness can be problematic. Thus, noninvasive imaging examinations have been developed for the pre-surgical diagnosis of PCNSL, including gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 123I-N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine single-photon emission computed tomography (123I-IMP SPECT), and positron emission tomography with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG PET). Here, we report the case of a 71-year-old woman with negative imaging findings for PCNSL, but who was diagnosed with PCNSL by a brain biopsy and histological analysis. Her imaging results were negative for gadolinium-enhanced cranial MRI, with low uptake in 123I-IMP SPECT and hypometabolism in 18F-FDG PET. However, a stereotactic brain biopsy from an abnormal lesion revealed that many round cells had infiltrated into the brain. Moreover, many infiltrating cells were positive for cluster of differentiation (CD)20 and CD79a, and proliferation marker protein Ki-67-positive cells accounted for nearly 80% of all cells. Based on these results, our final pathological diagnosis was PCNSL. The present case highlights the possibility of a PCNSL diagnosis even when all imaging-related examinations display negative results.

Noteworthy Cardiovascular Involvement with Sporadic Late-onset Nemaline Myopathy.

Cardiac involvement has recently been the focus of sporadic late-onset nemaline myopathy (SLONM). However, right ventricular failure and pulmonary hypertension, in addition to repetitive cardiac arrest, are noteworthy characteristics of SLONM. We herein report a 66-year-old woman with SLONM whose main symptoms were cardiac arrest, right ventricular failure, and pulmonary hypertension. Despite permanent pacemaker replacement, cardiac arrest occurred repetitively, and even with continuous positive airway pressure, right ventricular failure and pulmonary hypertension persisted. The patient was finally diagnosed with SLONM by a muscle biopsy. Our case suggests the possibility of cardiovascular involvement in SLONM, especially right ventricular failure and pulmonary hypertension.