title: Peripheral nervous system and spinal cord involvement in lymphoma.
abstract: Nine-hundred-eighty-nine patients with diagnosis of lymphoma were studied. Forty-six cases (4.6%) had compressions of the spinal cord or roots. Forty-two patients (4.2%) had Herpes zoster virus infections, which in 6 cases were of disseminated type. The major predisposing factors for infection were: advanced stage of lymphoma, previous systemic chemotherapy and splenectomy. Toxic polyneuropathy secondary to chemotherapy was found in 39 patients (3.9%). In 14 cases, the polyneuropathic symptoms were the main complaint (Group 1), while in the remaining 25 cases the diagnosis was made during neurological consultations because of unrelated symptoms (Group 2). Both groups did not have significant differences in the total dose of chemotherapy received. The electrophysiological studies showed an axonal neuropathy in both groups. The discontinuation of chemotherapy was found to be a limiting factor in the appearance of neuropathic symptoms. Other less frequent forms of involvement were: compression of peripheral nerves or nerve plexi from lymphadenopathies (3 cases), radiation myelopathy (1 case), and Guillain-Barré Syndrome associated with Hodgkin's Lymphoma (1 case).
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, José María Ramos Mejía, Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Correale
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Monteverde
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bueri
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Reich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000209:etiology; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000209:etiology; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000209:etiology; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes / Q000209:etiology*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000503:physiopathology; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine