Primary intracerebral Hodgkin's disease - Report of a case with Epstein-Barr virus association and review of the literature

A case of primary intracerebral Hodgkin's disease (HD) without dural attach ment in a 54-year-old immunocompetent patient is described. The infiltrate was located superficially in the occipital lobe and corresponded to the his tologic type of nodular sclerosis. A typical immunohistochemical profile (m embrane and cytoplasmic staining with dotlike Golgi enhancement of CD30, mo derate cytoplasmic staining of CD15 in the Golgi area, membrane staining of CD20 of <10% of blastic cells, CD45RB negative) and in addition Epstein-Ba rr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein was detectable in Reed-Sternberg cel ls. Staging revealed no other organ sites of involvement. After combined su rgery, postoperative radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, there are no signs of recurrence or systemic disease on follow-up for >1 year. To the authors' be st knowledge, an association of EBV with primary central nervous system HD has not been demonstrated before.