Results of compassionate therapy with intrathecal depot liposomal cytarabine in acute myeloid leukemia meningeosis.

Intrathecal (IT) depot liposomal cytarabine is useful in solid tumors or lymphomatous meningitis, but has scarcely been used in central nervous system (CNS) involvement in acute leukemia. We report the results of compassionate therapy with IT depot liposomal cytarabine in 10 patients with acute myeloid leukemia with CNS involvement. Five of 6 cases receiving this drug as the only IT therapy and the remaining 4 receiving it as adjuvant therapy to other CNS-directed therapies showed clearance of cerebrospinal fluid blast cells, with sustained response in 5 and mild side effects. Systemic therapy was given concomitantly in all cases, with high-dose cytarabine in 6. Clinical trials should establish the role of IT liposomal cytarabine in leukemic meningitis.