Abnormal visual-evoked potentials in leukemic children after cranial radiation
✍ Scribed by Russo, Antonio ;Tomarchio, Salvatore ;Pero, Giuseppe ;Consoli, Giuseppe ;Marina, Roberto ;Rizzari, Carmelo ;Schilirò, Gino
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1985
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 455 KB
- Volume
- 13
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0098-1532
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✦ Synopsis
Visual-evoked potentials IVEPs) were studied in 55 asymptomatic children with leukemia or solid tumors in remission in order to detect subclinical demyelination of the optic pathway after CNS prophylaxis. In group I (11 patients with ALL studied prospectively), VEP latency was increased in ten after cranial radiation (CR) as compared with previous values. Group II (18 patients with ALL in maintenance) and group I l l (16 patients with ALL off therapy) were studied retrospectively and VEP latency was found above normal lim-its in 33 and 31%, respectively. In group IV (four patients with solid tumors and six with leukemia, all of whom received no CR), VEP latency was normal despite periodical in- trathecal methotrexate administrations to five of them. We conclude that CR determines a slowing of conduction on VEP test, probably due to demyelination of the optic pathway, in a high proportion of patients. The future clinical significance of these findings must be established throughout a prolonged followup period.