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Brain lesions following combined treatment with methotrexate and craniospinal irradiation

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Summary

Eight patients with meningeal seeding by carcinoma or lymphomas were treated with intravenous (i.v.) and/or intrathecal (i.th.) Methotrexate (MTX). Seven patients received additional craniospinal irradiation and in all seven a fatal encephalopathy developed.

On the bases of clinical and morphological findings we identified an acute and a delayed form of encephalopathy and concluded that the concurrent administration of Methotrexate and of craniospinal irradiation increases considerably the risk of brain damage.

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Cruz-Sanchez, F.F., Artigas, J., Cervos-Navarro, J. et al. Brain lesions following combined treatment with methotrexate and craniospinal irradiation. J Neuro-Oncol 10, 165–171 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00146878

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