Primary central nervous system Hodgkin lymphoma: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract Central nervous system (CNS) involvement in the context of relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a quite rare, but well-known complication. Nevertheless, primary CNS–HL is an exceedingly rare condition, which diagnosis is based on well-defined morphological and immunohistochemical features, in addition to isolated involvement of the CNS. In spite of limited casuistry (just over twenty cases reported in the literature), available data agree that primary and isolated CNS–HL, when treated with a combination of surgery followed by some form of adjuvant therapy (radiotherapy ± chemotherapy), carries a better prognosis than those cases with CNS involvement in the context of relapsed/refractory HL or those with CNS non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We herein report a case of a 55-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with primary CNS–HL. The patient was treated with complete surgical resection followed by intrathecal chemotherapy and whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), showing fourteen months of disease-free survival at the time of this case report. A review of the available literature is also presented.