title: Complete clinical recovery of a central pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis delayed onset in a child with acute myeloblastic leukemia.
abstract: Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is a demyelinating disease of the pons often associated with the demyelination of extrapontine areas of the central nervous system. It typically occurs 0.5-7 days after a rapid increment in serum Na level in hyponatremic patients and may lead to death. A 2.5-year-old child with a diagnosis of acute myeloblastic leukemia developed febril neutropenia, diarrhea, gastrointestinal hemorrhage followed by pulmonary aspergillosis. He could not tolerate enteral nutrition. He was given broad spectrum antibiotics and antifungal treatment. Laboratory tests showed electrolyte abnormalities including hyponatremia, hypokalemia and hypophosphatemia in a chronic course. Twenty three days after a rapid correction of hyponatremia (16 mEq/L/24 h) he revealed flask quadriparesis, disphagia, mutism, irregular respiratory pattern and loss of cough and gag reflex. Cranial magnetic resonance showed central pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis. He required mechanical ventilation and then he regained his neurologic functions. He completed chemotherapy protocol and underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. After 2.5 years of the occurrence of CPM he is in completely normal physical and neurological status. CPM is a very severe but rare disorder in children with underlying disease. In the presence of multiple etiologic factors it may reveal a delayed onset and optimum outcome can be seen even in the severe clinical presentation with adequate intensive support.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. dyilmazk@yahoo.com
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karapinar
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balkan
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ay
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kavakli
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D017590:Myelinolysis, Central Pontine / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011149:Pons / Q000473:pathology*; D055732:Pulmonary Aspergillosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents