Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Guillain-Barré syndrome: a rare association.

Abstract

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a neoplastic transformation of cells that reside predominantly within lymphoid tissues, which may be of Bor T-cell origin. There is a slight male-to-female predominance and a higher incidence in whites than blacks. Incidence rises steadily with age, especially after 40 years. Extranodal lymphomas usually present as a mass, and sometimes as a fever of unknown origin. Primary central nervous system involvement results in headaches, seizures, lethargy, focal neurologic symptoms, or paralysis. Uncommon initial presentations of NHL include spinal cord compression and lymphomatous meningitis. Peripheral nervous system abnormalities occur in 5% of patients with lymphoma and have a wide differential diagnosis, with herpes zoster being the most common cause.1 Direct lymph omatous involvement of the peripheral nerves (neuro lymphomatosis) is a rare event, often occurring in the presence of widespread systemic disease.2 Peripheral neuropathy is commonly attributed to the toxic effect of chemotherapeutic agents.3,4 Another cause of central ner vous system damage is radiation myelopathy. Paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), are rare in NHL.5,6 We describe a rare case of NHL complicated by GBS.