Volume 24, Issue 1 pp. 5-18
REVIEW

Peripheral nervous system involvement in lymphomas

Chiara Briani

Corresponding Author

Chiara Briani

Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

Correspondence

Chiara Briani, MD, Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 5, 35128 Padova, Italy.

Email: [email protected]

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Andrea Visentin

Andrea Visentin

Hematology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

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Marta Campagnolo

Marta Campagnolo

Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

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Alessandro Salvalaggio

Alessandro Salvalaggio

Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

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Sergio Ferrari

Sergio Ferrari

Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, University Hospital G.B. Rossi, Verona, Italy

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Tiziana Cavallaro

Tiziana Cavallaro

Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, University Hospital G.B. Rossi, Verona, Italy

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Renzo Manara

Renzo Manara

Neuroradiology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy

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Roberto Gasparotti

Roberto Gasparotti

Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

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Francesco Piazza

Francesco Piazza

Hematology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

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First published: 16 December 2018
Citations: 51

Abstract

The peripheral nervous system may be involved at any stage in the course of lymphoproliferative diseases. The different underlying mechanisms include neurotoxicity secondary to chemotherapy, direct nerve infiltration (neurolymphomatosis), infections, immune-mediated, paraneoplastic or metabolic processes and nutritional deficiencies. Accordingly, the clinical features are heterogeneous and depend on the localization of the damage (ganglia, roots, plexi, and peripheral nerves) and on the involved structures (myelin, axon, and cell body). Some clinical findings, such a focal or diffuse involvement, symmetric or asymmetric pattern, presence of pain may point to the correct diagnosis. Besides a thorough medical history and neurological examination, neurophysiological studies, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, nerve biopsy (in selected patients with suspected lymphomatous infiltration) and neuroimaging techniques (magnetic resonance neurography and nerve ultrasound) may be crucial for a proper diagnostic workup.

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