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Radiation myelopathy in children
Author(s) -
Sundaresan N.,
Gutierrez F. A.,
Larsen M. B.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410040109
Subject(s) - myelopathy , medicine , spinal cord , autopsy , myelography , spinal cord diseases , medulloblastoma , cord , central nervous system disease , surgery , pathology , psychiatry
Three children, 1 with medulloblastoma, 1 with anaplastic cerebellar tumor, and 1 with acute lymphocytic leukemia, received craniospinal irradiation with an estimated cord dose between 1,100 and 1,200 rets. All 3 patients after a latent period of seven to eight months developed subacute transverse myelopathy. The myelopathy was cervical in 2 patients and thoracic in 1. Spinal fluid examination showed high protein levels in 2 patients. Myelography demonstrated a swollen cord in 2 patients and normal appearance in 1. Autopsy in 1 patient disclosed a necrotizing myelopathy. The findings suggest that children tolerate less well than adults what previously have been considered safe doses of radiation to the spinal cord.