Primary CNS posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD): an international report of 84 cases in the modern era

Abstract

We performed a multicenter, International analysis of solid organ transplant (SOT)-related primary central nervous system (PCNS) posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD). Among 84 PCNS PTLD patients, median time of SOT-to-PTLD was 54 months, 79% had kidney SOT, histology was monomorphic in 83% and tumor was EBV+ in 94%. Further, 33% had deep brain involvement, 10% had CSF involvement, while none had ocular disease. Immunosuppression was reduced in 93%; additional first-line therapy included high-dose methotrexate (48%), high-dose cytarabine (33%), brain radiation (24%) and/or rituximab (44%). The overall response rate was 60%, while treatment-related mortality was 13%. With 42-month median follow-up, three-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 32% and 43%, respectively. There was a trend on univariable analysis for improved PFS for patients who received rituximab and/or high-dose cytarabine. On multivariable Cox regression, poor performance status predicted inferior PFS (HR 2.61, 95% CI 1.32-5.17, p = 0.006), while increased LDH portended inferior OS (HR 4.16, 95% CI 1.29-13.46, p = 0.02). Moreover, lack of response to first-line therapy was the most dominant prognostic factor on multivariable analysis (HR 8.70, 95% CI 2.56-29.57, p = 0.0005). Altogether, PCNS PTLD appears to represent a distinct clinicopathologic entity within the PTLD spectrum that is associated with renal SOT, occurs late, is monomorphic and retains EBV positivity.