WBR0206
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| Author | [[PageAuthor::William J Gibson (Reviewed by Yazan Daaboul, M.D.)]] |
|---|---|
| Exam Type | ExamType::USMLE Step 1 |
| Main Category | MainCategory::Histology, MainCategory::Microbiology, MainCategory::Pathology |
| Sub Category | SubCategory::Neurology |
| Prompt | [[Prompt::A 60-year-old HIV-positive man presents to the physician's clinic with unremitting headache and visual hallucinations for the past 2 weeks. The patients explains that his headache started as a dull pain but has not become intolerable. He says that he has tried several over-the-counter analgesic medications with no relief. Recently, he states that he has been experiencing weakness in his left lower extremities. Upon further investigation, the patient admits that he has been non-compliant with his HAART therapy. Physical examination is remarkable for decreased motor strength in his left lower extremity and positive Babinski sign. A brain MRI demonstrates the lesion shown below. Which of the following findings is most likely to be observed on biopsy of this patient's lesion?
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| Answer A | AnswerA::Monoclonal B-cell proliferation |
| Answer A Explanation | AnswerAExp::Monoclonal B-cell proliferation is characteristic of primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL). |
| Answer B | AnswerB::Protozoan parasite |
| Answer B Explanation | [[AnswerBExp::Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that causes brain abscesses and focal central nervous system disease among HIV-positive patients with CD4 counts < 100 cells/mm3. Distinguishing a PCNSL vs. toxoplasmosis infection can be difficult. First, the majority of PCNSL are solitary lesions (65%), whereas cerebral toxoplasmosis typically present with multiple foci of disease (86%). Although brain MRI in PCNSL may demonstrate a ring-enhancing lesion similar to cerebral toxoplasmosis, PCNSL lesion is usually larger and is more likely to appear uniformly-enhanced on MRI. Finally, the clinical presentation may be helpful to distinguish both diseases. In the case, the patient has no fever, constitutional symptoms, or epilepsy due to encephalitis.]] |
| Answer C | AnswerC::Reactive gliosis and vascular proliferation |
| Answer C Explanation | AnswerCExp::Reactive gliosis and vascular proliferation is the typical histological appearance of a glial scar that appears 1-2 weeks following ischemic stroke. |
| Answer D | AnswerD::Yeast with narrow-based budding that stains positively with india ink |
| Answer D Explanation | [[AnswerDExp::Cryptococcus neoformans is a yeast with narrow-based budding that stain positively with india ink. It is a cause of meningioencephalitis in HIV patients with CD4 counts < 50 cells/mm3. Patients infected with cryptococcal meningitis usually have symptoms of meningitis but no signs of meningitis on physical examination.]] |
| Answer E | AnswerE::Pseudopalisading pleomorphic cells |
| Answer E Explanation | [[AnswerEExp::Pseudopalisading pleomorphic cells that stain positively for GFAP are characteristic of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a highly malignant brain tumor of adults. GBM often crosses the corpus callosum (butterfly glioma) and shows areas of necrosis and hemorrhage on brain MRI.]] |
| Right Answer | RightAnswer::A |
| Explanation | [[Explanation::Primary CNS Lymphoma (PCNSL) is a primary intracranial form of extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that commonly affects patients with AIDS and other immunosuppressive conditions. Non-AIDS patients with post-transplant lymphoproliferation (PTLD) may develop PCNSL that is EBV-induced, where EBV is characteristically identified in CSF of these patients. Common manifestations PCNSL include headache due to increase intracranial pressure, cognitive dysfunction, disorientation, personality changes, visual hallucinations, seizures, and focal neurological deficits. Physical examination is usually remarkable for signs of upper motor neuron involvement and abnormal findings on ophthalmological exam, including identification of deposits. In fact, PCNSL is a unique tumor that may manifest with ophthalmological manifestations because it involves the vitreous, the retina, and the optic nerve, as well as it produces a mass effect that may result in visual changes. PCNSL may be visualized by brain MRI, which often shows a single (65%) or multiple (35%) lesions, most of which are greater than 15 mm and attached to the meninges or the subarachnoid space. Patients diagnosed with PCNSL should undergo further work-up for staging and to identify possible infiltration of the disease. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis and PCR amplification may help in the diagnosis, since patients often have elevated levels of monoclonal B cells with CD19, CD20, and CD79a positivity. The diagnosis of PCNSL is made by biopsy of the intracranial lesion(s). Since the majority of PCNSL are B-cell lymphomas of germinal B-cell origin, the most likely finding on biopsy is the presence of monoclonal B-cell proliferation. Although low-dose steroid therapy may provide symptomatic relief, steroids may significantly alter the results of the biopsy and yield false-negative findings, which is why steroid therapy needs to be temporarily discontinued prior to biopsy. The mainstay of therapy of PCNSL is HAART therapy for HIV-positive patients, along with high-dose methotrexate (MTX)-based polychemotherapy with either deferred radiation or autologous stem cell rescue. Radiotherapy has been associated with severe long-term neurotoxicity, and surgery was associated with worse clinical outcomes.
 Educational Objective: Primary CNS lymphomas can affect AIDS patients; they cause focal neurological defects and appear as single, uniformly enhancing masses on MRI. |
| Approved | Approved::Yes |
| Keyword | WBRKeyword::Brain, WBRKeyword::Cancer, WBRKeyword::Intracranial tumor, WBRKeyword::Lymphoma, WBRKeyword::Brain tumor, WBRKeyword::HIV, WBRKeyword::AIDS, WBRKeyword::Primary CNS lymphoma, WBRKeyword::PCNSL, WBRKeyword::Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, WBRKeyword::NHL, WBRKeyword::HIV-positive |
| Linked Question | Linked:: |
| Order in Linked Questions | LinkedOrder:: |
