Background and aims – Description of two cases of rare intravascular large B-cell lymphoma and secondary T-cell lymphoma diagnosed postmortem, that manifested clinically as longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM). We discuss causes of diagnostic difficulties, deceptive radiological and histological investigations, and outline diagnostic procedures based on our and previously reported cases. Case reports – Our first case, a 48-year-old female was admitted to the neurological department due to paraparesis. MRI suggested LETM, but the treatments were ineffective. She died after four weeks because of pneumonia and untreatable polyserositis. Pathological examination revealed intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVL). Our second case, a 61-year-old man presented with headache and paraparesis. MRI showed small bitemporal lesions and lesions suggesting LETM. Diagnostic investigations were unsuccessful, including tests for possible lymphoma (CSF flow cytometry and muscle biopsy for suspected IVL). Chest CT showed focal inflammation in a small area of the lung, and adrenal adenoma. Brain biopsy sample from the affected temporal area suggested T-cell mediated lymphocytic (paraneoplastic or viral) meningoencephalitis and excluded diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The symptoms worsened, and the patient died in the sixth week of disease. The pathological examination of the presumed adenoma in the adrenal gland, the pancreatic tail and the lung lesions revealed peripheral T-cell lymphoma, as did the brain and spinal cord lesions. Even at histological examination, the T-cell lymphoma had the misleading appearance of inflammatory condition as did the MRI. Conclusion – Lymphoma can manifest as LETM. In cases of etiologically unclear atypical LETM in patients older than 40 years, a random skin biopsy (with subcutaneous adipose tissue) from the thigh and from the abdomen is strongly recommended as soon as possible. This may detect IVL and provide the possibility of prompt chemotherapy. In case of suspicion of lymphoma, parallel examination of the CSF by flow cytometry is also recommended. If skin biopsy is negative but lymphoma suspicion remains high, biopsy from other sites (bone marrow, lymph nodes or adrenal gland lesion) or from a simultaneously existing cerebral lesion is suggested, to exclude or prove diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, IVL, or a rare T-cell lymphoma.

[INTRODUCTION - Meningeal infiltration by multiple myeloma is rare. Its incidence among cases of multiple myeloma is 1%. CASE REPORT - Multiple myeloma was diagnosed in a 53-year-old woman in December 2014. After chemotherapy, the disease was treated with autologous bone marrow transplantation in June 2015. Remission was observed through two months, but in August the patient was hospitalized due to severe headache with neck stiffness. Meningitis or viral encephalitis were suspected following her investigation. She was taken to the Intensive Care Unit because of a progression to status epilepticus. The EEG-examination revealed generalized slow wave activity and a right temporal epileptiform focus manifesting rarely. Clinical brain death developed on the 17th day in hospital. DISCUSSION - Although meningeal infiltration is infrequent in multiple myeloma, the present case report draws attention to this possibility. ]

[Among heamatological diseases, myeloma multiplex is the disease demanding the greatest attention. This statement could refer to the difficulties in diagnosis through the success or failure of a medical treatment and to the unavoidable deterioration of condition caused by complications. The illness, as it is known, is incurable but can be treated for a long period of time. The results of molecular biology offer new possibilities to secure the collection of instruments facilitating future recovery. These new modalities are targeted radiotherapy, the abundance of new drugs attacking the subcellular organellums of affected cells (thalidomid, Neovastat, oblimersen, bortezomib, etc.) and immunotherapy against myeloma cells. The introduction of new therapies, however, is to be permitted only with the greatest caution because the crossing of roads cannot be calculated and this could bring about deterioration too. The delay in theoretical considerations and experience however, allows the possibility to do a critical analysis. The application would become reality after collecting numerous experiences.]

Background and purpose - Oncogenesis is related to a sequential accumulation of somatic mutations. Comprehensive characterizations of the genomic landscapes have been completed recently for several tumors, glioblastoma being among the first ones. Our own translational research studies have been focused on defining molecular subtypes of glioblastoma in the clinical setting because of an expected prognostic and therapeutic utility of the information. Somatic mutations in genes of the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) enzyme family appear to be among the best-defined biomarkers that also influence tumor behavior and confer clinical utility. Methods - We have reviewed the literature including our own results to summarize basic science and clinical correlates of IDH mutations. Results - The surveyed data reveal genomic, transcriptomic, epigenomic and biochemical consequences of IDH mutations in the context of glioblastoma biology and phenotype. In addition, a few studies highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting IDH, although thus far all tests have only been conducted in the preclinical setting. Conclusions - Somatic mutations in isoforms of IDH genes represent important biomarkers that correlate with biochemical, biological and phenotypic features of glioblastoma, and may also facilitate the development of new therapeutic strategies complementing the currently available approved protocols.

[We report a case of a 50-year-old male patient, in whom the coexistence of multiple myeloma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma was confirmed. In December 2007, the patient was admitted to the department of internal medicine with fatigue resulting from mild anemia. A tumor of the left testis was discovered, and after semicastration diffuse large B cell lymphoma was diagnosed by histopathological analysis (clinical stage: II/EB). Examination of the bone marrow revealed a plasmocytic infiltrate of 60%, while 36.1 g/l IgG-kappa paraprotein was found in the peripheric blood, fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of multiple myeloma (Durie-Salmon stage: I). The patient received six cycles of rituximab- CHOP-21 chemotherapy for diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Following a transient improvement, the multiple myeloma showed progression, therefore we switched to VTD protocol (bortezomib, thalidomid, dexamethason). The patient underwent high dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Both hematologic diseases showed complete remission. Both tumour samples were tested for immunoglobulin heavy-chain rearrangement by polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequence analysis, according to which the possibility for clonal relationship between multiple myeloma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma could not be confirmed.]