Central pontine myelinolysis presented after prophylactic cranial irradiation in small cell lung cancer.

Abstract

Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) should now be considered as a part of the standard treatment of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in complete remission. The PCI has been offered in SCLC to reduce the incidence of brain metastasis and increase survival. The complications of PCI were reported brain necrosis, seizure or dementia. The complications were more frequent when chemotherapy was given at the time of cranial irradiation, or large radiation fraction size was employed. It is established that the pathophysiological reaction to irradiation in the normal brain tissue is necrosis, demyelinization, and diffuse changes due to wall thickening of the vascular structures. However, central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) of low dose irradiation like PCI is very rare. We report a patient with the classical syndrome of CPM following PCI for SCLC. The diagnosis was supported by typical features on magnetic resonance imaging.

• Authors: Yoon-Sik Jo, Sang-Don Han, Sang-Jun Na
• Journal: Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology (Neurol Sci) Vol. 32 Issue 6 Pg. 1161-3 (Dec 2011) ISSN: 1590-3478 [Electronic] Italy
• PMID: 21584741 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents

Topics

• Aged
• Antineoplastic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Cranial Irradiation (adverse effects)
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Lung Neoplasms (drug therapy, radiotherapy)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Male
• Myelinolysis, Central Pontine (etiology)
• Pons (pathology, radiation effects)
• Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (drug therapy, radiotherapy)