Inclusion Criteria

• Patient must have negative titers for toxoplasmosis or other infectious etiology for CNS disease.

Prior Medication:

Allowed:

• Zidovudine may be continued per protocol specifications.

Exclusion Criteria

• Pathologic diagnosis of lymphoma in central nervous system (CNS) must be confirmed but no previous treatment is allowed. In participating institutions where CNS biopsies cannot be obtained, the patient may be considered eligible if space-occupying lesions have been demonstrated on computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging with negative titers for toxoplasmosis or negative response to empiric therapy for intracerebral toxoplasmosis and negative workup for other infectious etiology of CNS disease.

Co-existing Condition:

Patients with the following are excluded:

• Positive titers for toxoplasmosis. Positive titers for other infectious etiology of CNS disease. Acute intercurrent infection. A second active tumor other than nonmelanomatous skin cancer or Kaposi's sarcoma. Lymphomatous meningitis alone without a mass lesion in the brain.

Concurrent Medication:

Excluded:

• Acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory agents, and corticosteroids other than dexamethasone.

Prior Medication:

Excluded:

• Acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, and corticosteroids other than dexamethasone.
• Excluded within 2 weeks of study entry:
• Immunomodulating agents.
• Excluded within 30 days of study entry:
• Any investigational agent.