Open AccessA 76‐YEAR‐OLD WOMAN WITH PARAPLEGIA
Author(s) -
Rémi Jan,
Pfefferkorn Thomas,
König Fatima B.,
Lassmann Hans,
Brück Wolfgang,
Holtmannspötter Markus,
Straube Andreas,
Kretzschmar Hans A.,
Schüller Ulrich
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
brain pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.986
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1750-3639
pISSN - 1015-6305
DOI - 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2009.00362.x
Subject(s) - medicine , autopsy , myeloid leukemia , white matter , paraplegia , cerebrum , magnetic resonance imaging , pathology , myeloid , central nervous system , spinal cord , radiology , psychiatry
A-76-year old woman was admitted to the hospital with paraplegia after a collapse at home. Magnetic resonance imaging showed white matter lesions from Th4 to L2 as well as large confluent white matter lesions in the cerebrum. Within 3 days, the patient's mental status decreased dramatically and she finally died on day 16 after her fall. Autopsy examination revealed an acute myeloid leukemia, which had not previously been diagnosed and which had never been treated. In the CNS, we found spread of myeloblasts in combination with acute demyelinating lesions which corresponded to the antibody- and complement-mediated pattern II of multiple sclerosis lesions. This case implies that association of acute myeloid leukemia and acute CNS demyelination needs to be discussed and suggests that AML patients need to be strictly monitored for CNS functions.