Outcome of patients with primary malignant lymphoma of the brain; relationship to the nucleolar organizer region
Nakasu, S.; Nakazawa, T.; Saito, A.; Matsuda, M.; Handa, J.
No Shinkei Geka. Neurological Surgery 20(5): 593-598
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0301-2603 PMID: 1598135 Document Number: 399225
Twelve cases of primary malignant lymphoma of the central nervous system had been treated since April, 1979 to August, 1990. Radiation therapy was completed in ten of them without adjuvant chemotherapy, and the other two patients expired before or during radiation therapy. In spite of good response to the radiation therapy, five of the ten patients died within 2 years. Three cases are alive after more than 5 years, and there has been no recurrence. In eight cases, the number of the argyrophilic proteins of the nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) was counted in the formalin-fixed paraffin embedded sections. In those cases with an AgNOR number of 4.0 or higher, prognosis was significantly worse than in the others. AgNOR number may be used as one of the reliable factors in the prognosis of primary malignant lymphoma of the central nervous system.