The aim of the study was to further determine the pathophysiology, clinical course, MRI-features and response to therapy of chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids (CLIPPERS), which has recently been proposed as a rare chronic inflammatory central nervous system disorder responsive to immunosuppressive therapy. Three patients with this rare entity underwent serial clinical and bimonthly MRI follow-up over a period of up to 16 months. Extensive laboratory work-up and brain biopsy were performed. Intravenous methylprednisolone or oral dexamethasone was administered as treatment, additionally cyclophosphamide in one patient. Clinically, diplopia, nystagmus, ataxia and facial paresthesia were the cardinal symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disclosed patchy spot-like gadolinium enhancement in a "salt-and-pepper like appearance" in the pons, midbrain and cerebellum, in two cases with thalamic and in the other with spinal involvement. Brain biopsies demonstrated a predominantly angiocentric but also diffuse infiltration pattern by small mature lymphocytes. Treatment with steroids led to rapid clinical improvement and marked resolution of MRI lesions. As discontinuation of steroids led to clinical relapse, one patient was treated with a further course of steroids and the other with steroids and cyclophosphamide as immunosuppressive therapy. This led to stable remission with only mild clinical residue and normalization of MRI. Extensive laboratory and radiological work-up could not identify any other cause of the disease. Of note, in two cases a marked elevation of IgE in serum was found initially and throughout the course. CLIPPERS seems to be a distinct inflammatory central nervous system disorder. It shows characteristic MRI core features. Extrapontine involvement seems to be frequent. Histologically it is characterised by predominantly angiocentric infiltration by small mature lymphocytes. A pathogenetic relationship between the elevated IgE levels and the perivascular infiltrates can be presumed. It is responsive to immunosuppressive therapy and can require prolonged or maintenance treatment.

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ObjectivePrimary diffuse leptomeningeal gliomatosis (PDLG) is a rare neoplasm with a short survival time of a few months. there is currently no standardized therapeutic approach for PDLG.Materials and methodsWe report on a 53-year-old male patient who presented with epileptic seizures, gait disturbance, paraparesis and sensory deficits in the dermatomes T8-10.ResultsMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealing numerous spinal and cranial gadolinium-enhancing nodules in the meninges and histopathology led us to diagnose primary diffuse leptomeningeal gliomatosis with WHO grade III astrocytic cells. Consecutively, the patient underwent craniospinal radiotherapy (30 Gy) and 11 sequential cycles of temozolomide. This regimen led to partial tumor regression. Thirteen months later, spinal MRI revealed tumor progression. Second-line chemotherapy with 5 cycles of irinotecan and bevacizumab did not prevent further clinical deterioration. The patient died twenty-two months after diagnosis, being the longest survival time described thus far with respect to PDLG consisting of astrocytic tumor cells.ConclusionsRadiochemotherapy including temozolomide, as established standard therapy for brain malignant astrocytomas, might be valid as a basic therapeutic strategy for this PDLG subtype.

The authors report on a 15-year-old girl presenting with headache and nausea. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a diffuse leptomeningeal contrast enhancement 5 years after resection of a posterior fossa medulloblastoma followed by radio- and chemotherapy. A left frontal biopsy revealed tumor spread. Histopathological findings of the tumor were identical to those obtained from the original medulloblastoma. To the authors' knowledge this is the first report of late supratentorial leptomeningeal metastasis from a medulloblastoma while no local recurrence or spinal leptomeningeal dissemination had occurred.