Primary T cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the central nervous system. Case report and review of the literature.

A 42-year-old man developed primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the central nervous system (CNS). Immunohistochemical examination suggested that tumor cells were derived from T cells. Primary T cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the CNS is a rare tumor, with only 12 well-documented cases in the literature. The clinical features of these 12 cases were similar to those of other CNS lymphomas, and the effect of treatment and prognosis were usually worse than those of extranodal lymphoma. Our patient, who was treated with partial tumor resection and whole-brain irradiation with a boost to the primary site and 5 courses of CHOP therapy (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisolone), is still alive and in remission 38 months after diagnosis.