Optic neuropathy due to anaplastic large cell lymphoma

Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma With Intraocular or Ocular Adnexal Involvement: A Case Report and Systematic Review

PURPOSE

To review the existing literature on patients with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) affecting the globe and/or ocular adnexa, and to present a report documenting the clinical course of a patient with ALCL that involved their globe and ocular adnexa.

METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, and Google scholar were systematically searched for all cases of ALCL involving intraocular or adnexal ocular structures from inception to May 2023. Moreover, a new reported case added to the cases found in searches.

RESULTS

The review identified 1680 studies, with 8 meeting inclusion criteria. A total of 9 patients were included with a mean age of 29.7 years (median: 30.0, range: 1.3-48). Primary ALCL was present in 5/9 (55.6%) patients. The most common ophthalmic manifestations included periorbital swelling (5/8), chemosis (5.8), and decreased vision (5/7). Misdiagnoses were initially made in 3 patients, and the lag time to correct diagnosis from 3 weeks to 3 months. CD30 expression was positive in all cases, and 6/9 patients were positive for anaplastic lymphoma kinase, resulting in 6/9 patients being diagnosed with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive ALCL. In terms of management modalities, chemotherapy was administered in 8/9 patients, while radiation therapy was utilized in 4/9 patients, and 2 underwent autologous stem cell transplantation. Five (55.6%) patients succumbed to ALCL while 4 (44.4%) were alive and disease-free at the last follow-up. The median times from the initial presentation of ALCL to death, ophthalmic presentation to death, and diagnosis to death were 4.12 months (range: 1.1-168.0), 2.62 months (range: 1.1-144), and 4.00 months (range: 0.10-168), respectively. The median follow-up duration was 21.0 months (range: 1.1-168.0).

CONCLUSIONS

ALCL involving the globe and ocular adnexa is a rare and highly malignant tumor that can mimic benign clinical conditions. Early biopsy and aggressive treatment with chemotherapy regimens such as CHOP and radiation therapy may be useful.

ALK-negative CNS anaplastic large cell lymphoma: case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Central nervous system (CNS) lymphomas frequently pose a diagnostic challenge to physicians. CNS anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a rare condition. A majority (80%) of ALCLs harbour anaplastic lymphoma kinase 1 (ALK-1) mutation with only a minority testing negative for this mutation.

METHODS

Here we report a rare case of ALK-negative CNS ALCL with dural involvement. We conducted a literature search using PubMed for published studies in English on cases of patients with ALCL of the brain. The keywords used were 'anaplastic large cell lymphoma', 'ALK' and 'primary central nervous system lymphoma'.

RESULTS

A 63-year-old man presents with waxing and waning cranial nerve and spinal cord symptoms. MRI revealed multiple intracranial and intra-spinal lesions that were highly steroid responsive. A wide range of serum and CSF tests were non-diagnostic during three months of workup before a lesion appeared in the cervical spine that required decompression and allowed us to obtain a tissue sample. Final pathology revealed ALK-negative ALCL. There are only 24 reported adult cases to date of CNS ALCL in the English literature. To our knowledge, this is the first case of ALK-negative ALCL with primarily CNS and meningeal involvement.

CONCLUSIONS

ALK-negative ALCL with CNS involvement is extremely rare, which frequently results in delayed diagnosis (average 40.5 days). The diagnostic challenge posed by this case highlights the importance of a team approach to workup and diligent patient follow-up for such a rare disease.