title: Acute transient encephalopathy after weekly paclitaxel infusion.
abstract: Paclitaxel is highly active against a variety of solid tumors including breast lung, ovarian and head and neck cancer. Although peripheral neurotoxicity is well-known side effect, central nervous system (CNS) toxicity-related standard dose of paclitaxel is extremely uncommon, because paclitaxel dose not cross the blood-brain barrier and is not detectable in the cerebrospinal fluid. We present a patient with advanced stage breast carcinoma who developed acute and spontaneous resolving encephalopathy after weekly dose of paclitaxel. The patient did not have brain metastasis, or prior whole-brain irradiation, or any type of neurosurgery. Radiological imaging studies showed no abnormalities. CNS toxicity of paclitaxel should be kept in mind in patients without a previous history of brain metastasis or brain irradiation and even with low weekly doses.
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Bayındır Hospital, Söğütözü, Ankara, Turkey. smuallaoglu@hotmail.com
authors: Sadık
authors: S
authors: Muallaoğlu
authors: Murat
authors: M
authors: Koçer
authors: Nilüfer
authors: N
authors: Güler
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