Intraventricular treatment of relapsed central nervous system lymphoma with the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab

Abstract

Most patients with primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma or systemic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) involving the CNS relapse after an initial response to treatment, often presenting with leptomeningeal disease. Since the majority of these lymphomas are B-cell neoplasms expressing the CD20 surface antigen treatment with the chimeric monoclonal antibody (Mab) rituximab might be a new therapeutic option. Here, we report on 6 patients with relapsed CNS B-cell lymphoma who were treated with intraventricular or intrathecal applications of rituximab. One of these cases has already been reported.