A 53-year-old man developed progressive sensory disturbance and weakness in
the legs, sphincter disturbance, back pain, systemic symptoms, and pancyto
penia. Electrophysiological tests indicated a widespread lumbosacral polyra
diculopathy. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging and routine cerebrospinal fl
uid analysis showed minor nonspecific abnormalities. Bone marrow and liver
biopsies showed hemophagocytosis; and polymerase chain reaction of cerebros
pinal fluid, bone marrow, and serum suggested active infection with human h
erpesvirus-6. Autopsy revealed that his neurological symptoms resulted from
intravascular lymphomatosis (angiotropic large cell lymphoma), a rare vari
ant of lymphoma with predilection for the nervous system. (C) 2000 John Wil
ey & Sons, Inc.