Clinical exacerbation of multiple sclerosis following radiotherapy.
BACKGROUND
Radiation of the central nervous system in patients with demyelinating disease may have deleterious effects.


OBJECTIVE
To describe a 30-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis who developed an attack of demyelination 2 months following radiotherapy for a parotid malignancy.


RESULTS
Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated new hyperintense lesions that corresponded to both the localization of the patient's symptoms and to the area defined by the 50% isodose radiation field.


CONCLUSIONS
Radiation treatment likely triggered an exacerbation of multiple sclerosis.
Murphy
Colleen B
CB
Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Hashimoto
Stanley A
SA
Graeb
Douglas
D
Thiessen
Brian A
BA
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011832:Radiation Injuries; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*