Paclitaxel is a chemotherapeutic agent that is effective against ovarian, breast, lung, and other
cancers. Although peripheral neurotoxicity is among the most common side effects of
paclitaxel treatment, central neurotoxicity is rarely reported. When centrally mediated side effects are observed, they are attributed to
Cremophor EL™ (CrEL), a
surfactant-containing vehicle used for
paclitaxel administration. In the present report, we discuss the case of a 72-year-old woman with ovarian
carcinoma who experienced a non-convulsive seizure following administration of a CrEL-free, polymeric
micelle formulation of
paclitaxel. One week after her fourth round of
chemotherapy, she experienced a transient episode of
aphasia for 45 minutes. Electroencephalography demonstrated epileptiform discharges. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of seizure associated with a CrEL-free formulation of
paclitaxel. Although rare, patients and clinicians should remain aware of the risk of non-convulsive seizure following infusion of this
paclitaxel formulation.