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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Asian J Neurosurg 2020; 15(01): 162-164
DOI: 10.4103/ajns.AJNS_300_19
Case Report

Primary diffuse large B-cell non-hodgkin's lymphoma of the thoracic spine presented initially as an epigastric pain

Fakhr Fakhouri
Department of Neurosurgery, Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder, Trier
,
Nihad Shoumal
1   Department of Neurosurgery, Aleppo University Hospital, Aleppo
,
Batoul Obeid
2   Department of Pathology, Aleppo University Hospital, Aleppo
,
Ayman Alkhoder
3   Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
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Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) compromises the vast majority of lymphomas and predominantly takes on the form of B-cell lymphomas. More specifically, 30% of all newly diagnosed cases of NHL in the United States (US) are of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) type, making it the most prevalent form of NHL in the US. Arising from either nodal or extra-nodal lymphatic tissue origin, DLBCL is an aggressive tumor which is fatal if left untreated. Primary central nervous system lymphoma is rare; however, when diagnosed, it presents as a DLBCL in 90% of patients. Herein, we present an elderly male complaining initially of acute epigastric pain but soon afterward developed acute spinal cord compressive symptoms; subsequently, it was found to be caused by a primary DLBCL diagnosed in the thoracic spinal cord. This case report presents a rare condition with unexpected initial presentation, and we attempt to illustrate the importance of early detection and treatment of DLBCL in attaining more favorable prognostic and survival rates among patients. Written consent was obtained from the patient after reading a written summary of the case report. This consent was checked and approved from the Scientific Board of the University of Aleppo.

Key-words:

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma - epidural mass lesion - epigastric pain - non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - spinal tumor

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.




Publication History

Received: 01 October 2019

Accepted: 24 December 2019

Article published online:
16 August 2022

© 2020. Asian Congress of Neurological Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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