title: Leukoencephalopathy complicating intraventricular catheters: clinical, radiographic and pathologic study of 10 cases.
abstract: Ten patients with implanted Ommaya devices developed pericatheter white matter lesions, apparent as focal lucenaries on computed tomographic scan sometimes with contrast enhancement and/or mass effect. Some of the patients had significant neurological signs that related to the lesion. Three of the patients had not received cytotoxic drugs through the reservoir, and two had received neither intrathecal chemotherapy nor cranial radiation therapy. The process appears to be related to back flow of cerebrospinal fluid, with or without contained cytotoxic drugs into the periventricular white matter. Patients with elevated intracranial pressure are at particular risk. Removal of the catheter relieves the condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lemann
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Wiley
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Posner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D007427:Intracranial Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed