Brain Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Brain Cancer, including details on symptoms, benign and malignant tumors, gliomas, treatment.

Acute transient encephalopathy following paclitaxel treatment in an adolescent with a recurrent suprasellar germinoma.

Rook J, Rosser T, Fangusaro J, Finlay J

Department of Pediatrics, Loma Linda University Children's Hospital, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California, USA.

Paclitaxel is an antineoplastic agent that is used in the treatment of a variety of solid tumors. Dose-limiting side effects of myelosuppression and peripheral neuropathy are well known. Paclitaxel has minimal penetration of the blood-brain barrier and central nervous system side effects are rare. However, transient encephalopathy following paclitaxel infusion has been described in adults but not in children. We present the case of a 14-year-old female with a recurrent suprasellar germinoma who developed an acute encephalopathy 4-6 hr following paclitaxel infusion.

Published 15 January 2008 in Pediatr Blood Cancer, 50(3): 699-700.
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