Seidel H, Nygaard R, Haave I, Moe P J
Department of Paediatrics, University of Trondheim, Norway.
Acta Paediatr. 1996 Apr;85(4):450-3. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1996.tb14059.x.
This study evaluates the occurrence of permanent cerebral white matter changes and neurological abnormalities in children treated at a young age for acute lymphocytic leukaemia. Our pilot treatment protocol did not include central nervous system irradiation, but intrathecal methotrexate and high-dose methotrexate infusions followed by very intensive folinic acid rescue. We examined 12 children in complete remission and off therapy 18 months to 9.5 years after their last methotrexate infusion. They were below 5 years of age at diagnosis and therefore expected to be at special risk of neurotoxic sequelae. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging in the 11 cases thus evaluated did not reveal white matter abnormalities or other signal changes as signs of permanent treatment-related sequelae. We did not observe any pathological clinical neurological findings likely due to methotrexate.
