Pancytopenia caused by intrathecal injections of chemotherapeutic agents in central nervous system leukemia: report of 1 case and review of literature / 白血病·淋巴瘤

ABSTRACT

Methods:The clinical data of a CNSL patient with pancytopenia caused by intrathecal injections of chemotherapeutic agents in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in January 2017 were retrospectively analyzed, and the related literature was reviewed.Results:The patient was a 71-year-old man who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. During regular chemotherapy, he suffered from extramedullary relapse, and leukemic cells invaded the superior sagittal sinus of brain. Lumbar puncture and intrathecal injections of chemotherapeutic agents were given intermittently. During this period, the complete blood count of patient progressively declined, and oral mucositis appeared. After calcium folinate rescue and intermittent blood transfusion, the complete blood count recovered. Eventually, the patient developed bone marrow relapse and died of infection.Conclusions:On the one hand, the invasion of leukemia cells into the central nervous system leads to increased intracranial pressure and accelerated absorption of cerebrospinal fluid; on the other hand, it induces the structural damage of the superior sagittal sinus or increased permeability, and therefore chemotherapy agents continue to enter the blood with cerebrospinal fluid, which may be the cause of pancytopenia.