Cerebellar toxicity following high-dose cytosine arabinoside.
A patient with acute cerebellar toxicity following systemic high-dose cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) 3 g/m2/12 h for secondary acute nonlymphocytic leukemia is reported. Initial symptoms of ataxia and dysarthria emerged at 30 g/m2 cumulative dose and persisted without improvement over a ten-week period. Recurrence and worsening of cerebellar symptoms followed further consolidation treatment with high-dose ara-C. Subsequent autopsy showed extensive Purkinje's cell damage in the lateral cerebellar hemispheres. Persistent severe toxicity can occur at total doses less than those generally recognized.
D001259:Ataxia / Q000139:chemically induced; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004401:Dysarthria / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000473:pathology
D003561:Cytarabine