Detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in primary intraocular B-cell lymphoma

Primary intraocular lymphoma, a variant of primary central nervous system l ymphoma with ocular involvement, is a large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Some cases of primary intraocular lymphoma. have been reported to be associ ated with microorganisms including Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpe s virus-8 (HHV-8), but not parasites. We analyzed 10 cases of primary intra ocular lymphoma using microdissection and PCR Tumor and normal cells were m icrodissected from ocular tissue on slides and subjected to PCR for genes f rom Taxoplasma gondii, EBV, and HHV-8. We detected Taxoplasma gondii, not H HV-8 or EBV, DNA in the lymphoma. but not in normal cells of two cases that resembled ocular toxoplasmosis clinically. We speculate that Taxoplasma go ndii may play a role in some forms of primary intraocular B-cell lymphoma.