title: Central nervous system complications of blastic hyperleukocytosis in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: diagnostic and prognostic implications.
abstract: Intracranial hemorrhage during blastic crisis is a rare but critically important occurrence in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This form of hemorrhage has not been described since the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), leaving radiologists and clinicians unfamiliar with its unique imaging features. The authors describe 2 boys with severe intracranial pathology secondary to blastic hyperleukocytosis. Both patients were followed with serial MRI. Imaging findings in relation to the pathophysiology of white matter leukostasis are discussed and implications for treatment and prognosis are considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child and Adolescent Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. mary.k.koenig@uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Mary Kay
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Koenig
authors.forename: Clark W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Sitton
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Slopis
mesh_terms: D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D018921:Leukostasis / Q000150:complications*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods