Case report of primary dural lymphoma mimicking a cerebellar meningioma and brief review of literature

Primary dural lymphoma (PDL) is an extremely rare subtype of primary central nervous system lymphoma arising from the dura mater in absence of systemic disease. The most common histological type is the low-grade marginal zone lymphoma, whereas high-grade lymphomas are unusual. We present a case of primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, presenting as PDL in the posterior fossa, originating from the dura mater of the petrous bone covering the surface of the left cerebellum, a location not previously described. A 65-year-old woman presented with sudden onset of severe dizziness was admitted in otolaryngology department then transferred to neurosurgery ward. CT scan revealed a large lesion involving left cerebellum, subsequent MRI of the brain demonstrated an enhancing mass suggestive for petrous bone meningioma. The tumor was excised, and the histopathological examination unexpectedly revealed a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The patient received postoperative chemoradiotherapy. 20 months after surgery a good outcome was registered. Due to the rarity of primary dural lymphomas no standard treatment is available, however, gross total or subtotal resection followed by adjuvant therapy seems to be a good choice to manage the pathology.