PubMed1984
In a case of primary reticulum cell sarcoma in the brain, histologically verified by biopsy, the tumor regressed twice on a CT scan without radiotherapy. The systemic freezing phenomenon was seen as a main clinical symptom. The patient, a 44 year-old male, first complained of decreased livido and festinating speech. He also showed frozen gait, micrographia, a decrease in spontaneity and urinary incontinence. Four months after onset he was hospitalized. Neurological findings on admission revealed freezing of gait, writing, and speech, but there was no weakness of muscles with normal tendon reflexes, and normal muscular tone. In the CT scan on admission, there were high density areas mainly in the head of the right caudate nucleus, the medial deep portion of the right frontal lobe, the right side of the hypothalamus, the anterior thalamus, the globus pallidus. There were also nodular-type enhanced effects in the same areas. Regression of the tumor was seen on the CT scans after administration of betamethasone. The tumor which had again increased in size regressed spontaneously without the use of steroids after 3 months. Thereafter, the tumor gradually became larger and an open biopsy was performed. Histopathological findings showed a reticulum cell sarcoma. There were no findings of systemic malignant lymphoma. Such intracranial malignant lymphomas showing repeated regression including spontaneous one are very rare in the literature. The freezing phenomenon in this case started with festinating speech and spread to writing and gait. L-DOPA had no effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)