When a patient has been diagnosed with NHL which diagnostic test will be used to assess for CNS involvement?

Original article

Hematological malignancies

Central nervous system involvement following diagnosis ofnon-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: a risk model

Abstract

Background

To determine the incidence and risk factors for central nervous system [CNS] relapse in patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma [NHL].

Patients and methods

Patient records were registered prospectively in successive patients with NHL admitted to the Norwegian Radium Hospital from 1980 to 1996. A total of 2514 patients had no CNS involvement at diagnosis and were treated according to standard protocols. The incidence and risk factors for CNS progression or relapse were examined retrospectively.

Results

In low-grade [L]-NHL, the risk of CNS involvement was low [2.8%]. In high-grade [H]-NHL, lymphoblastic and Burkitt’s NHL patients had a high risk of CNS recurrence [24.4%] at 5 years, and prophylaxis seemed to reduce this risk. For the other patients with H-NHL, the proportion with CNS involvement at 5 years was 5.2%. Multivariate analysis identified five independent risk factors, each present in >5% of patients: elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase, serum albumin