Primary intraspinal non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: Case report and review of literature

•Primary intraspinal lymphoma is a rare differential diagnosis in patients with paraplegia.•Clinical presentation and MR-imaging mimics differential diagnosis such as myelitis.•Spinal biopsy can confirm the diagnosis and should thus be performed early.•Early treatment is prognostically relevant for neurological outcome and survival. We present the unique case of an 67-year-old female patient with primary intraspinal B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma without cerebral manifestation mimicking myelitis in clinical presentation and neuroradiological diagnostic. It illustrates the broad spectrum of differential diagnoses for paraplegia and the importance of rapid interdisciplinary diagnostic work-up since the neurologic status after treatment mainly depends on the delay of treatment. Review of existing literature suggests combined radio- and chemotherapy as well as high-dose intravenous methotrexate or rituximab. The rising incidence of spinal lymphomas especially in patients with acquired immunodeficiency underlines the importance of fast diagnosis and initiation of treatment of this rare entity.