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Lymphopenia caused by cranial irradiation in children receiving craniospinal radiotherapy
Author(s) -
Harisiadis Leon,
Kopelson Gene,
Chang Chu H.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197709)40:3<1102::aid-cncr2820400319>3.0.co;2-0
Subject(s) - medicine , leukopenia , radiation therapy , neutropenia , bone marrow , surgery , posterior cranial fossa , leukocyte counts , nuclear medicine , chemotherapy
The peripheral blood changes were studied in 67 children who received craniospinal irradiation for posterior fossa tumors. At the completion of a cranial dose of about 3500 rad to the whole brain port, the lymphocytes were reduced to 858/mm 3 from 3084/mm 3 preoperatively. The counts of the remaining leukocytes stayed at a level somewhat higher than preoperatively; the eosinophils rose to 288/mm 3 from 125/mm 3 . With the initiation of the spinal field irradiation, which included a large proportion of the total bone marrow; the numbers of all the leukocytes decreased rapidly; the observed leukopenia was mainly secondary to neutropenia. A mechanism that was operating to restore the number of leukocytes became manifest immediately after the completion of radiotherapy, though the number of lymphocytes had not been totally restored to the preoperative level 6 years later. Irradiation of the lymphocytes that circulate through the vascular bed can explain the lymphopenia observed during cranial radiotherapy. Mild leukopenia observed in patients receiving radiotherapy through a relatively small port may be secondary to lymphopenia, and this does not necessarily indicate impaired bone marrow reserves.