Basophilic meningitis secondary to lymphoma

GLASSER, LEWIS M.D.
CORRIGAN, JAMES J. Jr. M.D.
PAYNE, CLAIRE Ph.D.

From the Departments of Pathology and Pediatrics, University of Arizona, College of Medicine.

Dr. Glasser's address is Department of Pathology, The University of Arizona Medical Center, Tucson, AZ 85724.

Received for publication November 14, 1975.

Neurology 26(9):p 899-902, September 1976.

Article abstract

In this case report of basophilic meningitis, the patient was a 5-year-old girl under treatment for a diffuse lymphocytic lymphoma. She presented with headache and bilateral papilledema. Cerebrospinal fluid examination showed 60 percent basophils. Subsequent specimens showed a rare blast. It is postulated that after the lymphoma cells had spread to the meninges, a cell-mediated immune reaction was initiated with the appearance of basophils in the exudate.