title: Treatment of non-AIDS progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy with cytosine arabinoside.
abstract: This open label study determined the outcome of non-AIDS progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy patients treated with a standard dose of intravenous cytosine arabinoside. Nineteen patients with PML proven by brain biopsy or spinal fluid polymerase chain reaction were treated with intravenous cytosine arabinoside 2 mg/kg per day for 5 days and followed for neurologic outcome by neurologic examination and MRI scanning. Seven of 19 PML patients treated with cytosine arabinoside intravenously improved neurologically. The range of follow-up for these patients was 2.0 to 4.5 years. All were left with neurologic deficits but were functionally improved, and 6 of 7 were able to independently carry out the activities of daily living. Twelve PML patients showed no evidence of response and died rapidly of their disease after treatment (range, 8 days to 6 months). All who survived their neurologic disease recovered from treatment-induced pancytopenia. Cytosine arabinoside given intravenously to non-AIDS PML patients in this small study was associated with a 36% chance of developing stabilization at 1 year. Treatment was associated with significant bone marrow toxicity. The improvement in MRI scan changes in those patients who responded took 6 weeks or longer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. aksamit.allen@mayo.edu
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Aksamit
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007968:Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D003561:Cytarabine