Primary brain T-cell lymphoma during pregnancy.

The incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) during pregnancy is about 0.8 cases per 100,000 women. We describe a case of a 33-year-old woman with primary brain T-cell NHL who was diagnosed at the 32nd week of gestation. She visited the emergency room complaining of a headache, vomiting and drowsiness. Her pregnancy had been uneventful prior to the admission. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a mass at the anterior cranial fossa in the mid liner in the front of the lateral ventricle of the brain. She was hospitalised and monitored regarding her complaints until the foetal lungs matured. During her stay, systemic evaluation revealed no other pathology. She delivered a healthy baby in the 34th week of gestation by Caesarean section and the tumour was evacuated while under the same anaesthesia. She underwent another surgery 12 hours after the first operation because of cerebral herniation. Despite aggressive treatment in the neurosurgical intensive care unit, her condition continued to deteriorate and she died on the tenth postpartum day. Examination of the patient at necropsy revealed no other pathology. The lymph nodes and bone marrow were not involved.