Bilateral vagus nerve neurolymphomatosis diagnosed using PET/CT and diffusion-weighted MRI

Clin Nucl Med. 2012 Sep;37(9):e225-8. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0b013e318251e474.

Abstract

In neurolymphomatosis, malignant lymphocytes infiltrate the peripheral nervous system in the presence of a known or unknown hematological malignancy. This report describes the findings of diffusion-weighted MRI and F-FDG PET/CT in a 65-year-old man with hoarseness. Results revealed a mass with restricted diffusion on diffusion-weighted imaging in the right visceral vascular space, increased uptake of F-FDG, and other masses at distant peripheral nerves. Restaging PET/CT showed involvement of the right brachial plexus and right sciatic nerve. Biopsy and immunohistochemistry of the right vagus nerve and cervical lymphadenopathy revealed a diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / pathology*
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / physiopathology
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Male
  • Multimodal Imaging*
  • Nervous System Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Nervous System Neoplasms / pathology
  • Nervous System Neoplasms / physiopathology
  • Positron-Emission Tomography*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed*
  • Vagus Nerve Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Vagus Nerve Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Vagus Nerve Diseases / pathology
  • Vagus Nerve Diseases / physiopathology