The use of subcutaneous cerebrospinal fluid reservoirs for the prevention and treatment of meningeal relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Subcutaneous cerebrospinal fluid reservoirs (Ommaya) were placed in 27 children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Eleven of the reservoirs were used for administration of preventive central nervous system therapy and the remaining 16 reservoirs were used in the management of overt meningeal leukemia. Seven of the 11 patients treated prophylactically had recurrence of leukemia. The first site of recurrence was the central nervous system in three (42%) cases. Four of the 16 patients with reservoirs placed for the treatment of overt meningeal leukemia have not had recurrent disease. Of the 12 patients who relapsed, the site of first recurrence was the central nervous system in five cases. The incidence of major complications was 26%.