Diagnostic delay and outcome in immunocompetent patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma in Spain: a multicentric study.

INTRODUCTION: To assess the management of immunocompetent patients with primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSL) in Spain. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 327 immunocompetent patients with histologically confirmed PCNSL diagnosed between 2005 and 2014 in 27 Spanish hospitals. RESULTS: Median age was 64 years (range: 19-84; 33% ≥ 70 years), 54% were men, and 59% had a performance status (PS) ≥ 2 at diagnosis. Median delay to diagnosis was 47 days (IQR 24-81). Diagnostic delay > 47 days was associated with PS ≥ 2 (OR 1.99; 95% CI 1.13-3.50; p = 0.016) and treatment with corticosteroids (OR 2.47; 95% CI 1.14-5.40; p = 0.023), and it did not improve over the years. Patients treated with corticosteroids (62%) had a higher risk of additional biopsies (11.7% vs 4.0%, p = 0.04) but corticosteroids withdrawal before surgery did not reduce this risk and increased the diagnostic delay (64 vs 40 days, p = 0.04). Median overall survival (OS) was 8.9 months [95% CI 5.9-11.7] for the whole series, including 52 (16%) patients that were not treated, and 14.1 months (95%CI 7.7-20.5) for the 240 (73.4%) patients that received high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX)-based chemotherapy. Median OS was shorter in patients ≥ 70 years (4.1 vs. 13.4 months; p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis identified age ≥ 65 years, PS ≥ 2, no treatment, and cognitive/psychiatric symptoms at diagnosis as independent predictors of short survival. CONCLUSIONS: Corticosteroids withdrawal before surgery does not decrease the risk of a negative biopsy but delays diagnosis. In this community-based study, only 73.4% of patients could receive HD-MTX-based chemotherapy and OS remains poor, particularly in elderly patients ≥ 70 years.

Body iron stores and early neurologic deterioration in acute cerebral infarction.

BACKGROUND: Iron-dependent free radicals formation has been related to greater damage in cerebral ischemia. The authors analyzed whether increased body iron stores were associated with early neurologic worsening and excitatory amino acid release in patients with acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: Ferritin, total iron, and glutamate concentrations in plasma and CSF were measured on admission in 100 consecutive patients with a cerebral infarction of <24 hours' duration. The authors diagnosed progressing stroke when the Canadian Stroke Scale score decreased one or more points between admission and 48 hours. Cranial CT was performed on admission and repeated on days 4 to 7 of hospitalization. RESULTS: Ferritin concentrations in plasma (median 391, range 119 to 500 versus 148, 21 to 399 ng/mL) and in CSF (17.4, 6.8 to 82, versus 4.8, 0.6 to 14 ng/mL) were significantly higher in the 45 patients with subsequent progressing stroke than in those with nonprogressing stroke (p < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between ferritin and glutamate concentrations in plasma (r = 0.81, p < 0.001) and CSF (r = 0.64, p < 0.001). Plasma ferritin concentrations >275 ng/mL in plasma (OR, 33.5; 95% CI, 4.7 to 235) and >11 ng/mL in CSF (OR, 11.4; 95% CI, 3. 1 to 41) were independently and significantly related to early neurologic worsening. The effect was reduced by >60% after controlling for glutamate concentrations, but remained significant. CONCLUSIONS: High plasma and CSF ferritin concentrations within the first 24 hours from the onset of ischemic stroke are associated with early neurologic deterioration. Increased body iron stores may contribute to stroke progression by enhancing the cytotoxic mechanisms in cerebral ischemia.