What is CNS Lymphoma?
Lymphoma in the central nervous system can either originate in the nervous system or can spread to the nervous system from another part of the body. Whether the lesion originates in the nervous system (primary) or originates from without (secondary) the histology (appearance and patterns of the cells) and the clinical presentation are very much the same. The location of CNS lymphoma can be above the tentorium in the region of the cerebrum where it has a tendency to affect the frontal lobes, the deep nuclei and the brain tissue around the ventricular system. Below the tentorium, in the posterior fossa where the cerebellum and brain stem are located, the lymphoma tends to collect in tissue of the cerebellum. The incidence of CNS lymphoma is increasing in the last 10 years. This is thought to be due to several factors, most prominently immunosuppression with drugs so that patients will not reject transplanted organs in addition to the acquired immunodeficiencies syndrome (AIDS). Who is mo