Demyelinating brain lesions developing in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia shortly after treatment with a fludarabine containing regimen.
Natalia KreinizMaya Garty-OfirJacob BejarAaron PolliackTamar TadmorPublished in: Hematological oncology (2020)
Autoimmune manifestations are known to occur in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and of these hemolytic anemia and immune thrombocytopenia are the most well recognized. Autoimmunity may also be triggered by some of the therapeutic agents used like purine analoges and these events may sometimes be severe and even fatal. Non-hematological autoimmune stigmata occur far less frequently and are rarely encountered. Here we report a 59 year-old-woman, with CLL, who complained of recurrent headache starting 1 month after completing 6 cycles of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab combination therapy. Computed tomography scan of the brain showed a contrast enhancing lesion of 1 cm in diameter, with surrounding edema in the right frontal lobe. Brain MRI revealed ring enhancing lesions in the right frontal lobe and some additional small lesions in the left parietal lobe. Brain biopsy showed an inflammatory demyelinating lesion, not associated with JC virus. The patient subsequently improved after steroid therapy. Currently, after 2 years of follow-up, she remains in complete hematologic remission, has no neurological deficits, and is carefully followed by a team of neurologists and hematologists. Treating physicians should be aware of this rare autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating lesion which can occur in patients with CLL during the course of treatment and that may be linked to treatment with purine analogues like fludarabine.
Keyphrases
- chronic lymphocytic leukemia
- combination therapy
- resting state
- computed tomography
- functional connectivity
- white matter
- multiple sclerosis
- cerebral ischemia
- magnetic resonance imaging
- contrast enhanced
- case report
- oxidative stress
- low dose
- primary care
- drug induced
- palliative care
- positron emission tomography
- magnetic resonance
- stem cells
- replacement therapy
- subarachnoid hemorrhage
- high dose
- single cell
- optical coherence tomography
- quality improvement
- brain injury
- image quality