title: Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition to treat radiation-induced brain necrosis and edema.
abstract: Brain necrosis and edema develop in a proportion of brain tumor patients treated with radiosurgery. Surgical resection and corticosteroids have considerable morbidity. Two metastatic melanoma brain lesions in a 14-year-old girl were treated with radiosurgery and whole-brain radiation treatment. Both lesions became symptomatic from radiologic features of necrosis and edema and were unresponsive to oral corticosteroids. The larger lesion was resected, but the other lesion continued to enlarge. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor was started, and the child improved clinically and radiologically. The usefulness of COX-2 inhibitors in treating radiation necrosis and edema, as suggested by this report, requires further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA. raja.khan@stjude.org
authors.forename: Raja B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Krasin
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kasow
authors.forename: Wing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008545:Melanoma / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009336:Necrosis; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors