A Case of Primary Breast Lymphoma with Brain Metastasis Detected during Pregnancy

ABSTRACT

Primary breast lymphoma (PBL) is a rare clinical presentation of localized non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and it makes up 0.04~1.1% of all breast tumors and it is 0.38~0.7% of all NHLs. The prognosis and patterns of relapse of PBL are still not clearly defined. The clinical features of PBL are different from those of breast carcinoma and the usual form of lymphoma. These features are a rapidly enlarging breast mass, multiple lesions, the absence of nipple discharge and retraction, and softer axillary lymph nodes as compared to the metastatic lymph nodes from breast carcinoma. B symptoms are unusual in PBL. A 30-year-old pregnant woman was admitted due to dysarthria and right side weakness that she had experienced for 7 days. She had several medical problems intrauterine pregnancy at 34 weeks, some neurologic deficits and enlargement of both breasts. A biopsy from the breast and a brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) revealed diffuse large B cell lymphoma and multiple brain metastases, respectively. After delivery of a healthy, premature infant by Cesarean section, whole brain radiation therapy and combination chemotherapy (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine and prednisone) were started. She showed good response to therapy. We report here on this unusual case and we review the related literature.