Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma (PCNSL) Following Thyroid Cancer Surgery: A Case Report of Misdiagnosed Brain Metastasis and Literature Review

Curr Oncol. 2024 Nov 26;31(12):7555-7565. doi: 10.3390/curroncol31120556.

Abstract

Objectives: This article reports a rare case of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) found in a patient with thyroid cancer after surgery.

Methods: The patient was initially misdiagnosed with brain metastases, and the diagnosis of PCNSL was later confirmed by pathology.

Results: The analysis of this case and review of the relevant literature explores the possible mechanisms of the coexistence of thyroid cancer and PCNSL, as well as their diagnostic, differential diagnostic, and therapeutic challenges.

Conclusions: The article suggests a possible correlation between the coexistence of multiple cancers and autoimmune diseases and emphasizes that disease cannot be only considered in a monolithic way.

Keywords: brain metastasis; primary central nervous system lymphoma; thyroid cancer.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Brain Neoplasms* / secondary
  • Brain Neoplasms* / surgery
  • Central Nervous System Neoplasms / secondary
  • Diagnostic Errors*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / surgery

Grants and funding

This work was funded by the National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding (2022-PUMCH-B-113) by Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82151302) by National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding (2022-PUMCH-A-019) by Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (2021-12M-1-014) by Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.