The best matrix for the brain: advances in secondary CNS lymphoma

Unusual complications in the management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a common, indolent disease that typically presents with a proliferation of mature, immunologically dysfunctional CD5+ B-cells which preferentially occupy the bone marrow, peripheral blood and lymphoid organs. Immune dysfunction leads to an increase in autoimmune diseases which occur in approximately 10% of patients with CLL. Autoimmune cytopenias are the most common, but other organs may be affected as well. The treatment of these conditions typically depends on the extent of CLL and severity of symptoms, but generally consists of CLL-directed therapies, immunosuppression or both. CLL may also infiltrate extranodal sites in the body. Symptomatic extranodal CLL or extranodal disease which threatens normal organ function is an indication for initiation of CLL-directed therapy. The following review summarizes autoimmune and extranodal complications that can occur in patients with CLL and our suggested approach to their treatment.

Diagnosis and Individualized Treatment of Secondary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: A Case Report

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can disseminate to the central nervous system at initiation of treatment for systemic lymphoma or spread during the relapse of systematic lymphoma with CNS involvement, which is defined as secondary central nervous system lymphoma (SCNSL). The incidence of SCNSL depends on the pathological type of lymphoma and is especially high in aggressive lymphoma. SCNSL has a poor prognosis because of the lack of effective treatment regimens. This article presents a rare case of SCNSL; an individualized treatment regimen was designed according to the genetic analyses of the patient tumor and included a Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor. After six cycles of treatment and another two cycles of rituximab, most lesions lost their metabolic activity. However, in the final stage of treatment, our patient unfortunately suffered from respiratory failure, which revealed that we should pay attention to Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia during ibrutinib treatment.