OBJECTIVE To identify safety signals concerning the association between the use of various drug classes and the onset of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). METHODS All reports containing suspected or interacting PML-related or leukoencephalopathy-related drugs, held in the World Health Organization spontaneous individual case safety reports database as at 1 September 2014, were...

PURPOSE To evaluate the incidence of leukoencephalopathy after whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) in patients with brain metastases. METHODS AND MATERIALS We retrospectively reviewed 111 patients who underwent WBRT for brain metastases from April 2001 through March 2008 and had evaluable computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at least 1 month after completion of WB...

BACKGROUND Deficiency of complex II (succinate dehydrogenase, SDH) represents a rare cause of mitochondrial disease and is associated with a wide range of clinical symptoms. Recently, mutations of SDHAF1, the gene encoding for the SDH assembly factor 1, were reported in SDH-defective infantile leukoencephalopathy. Our goal was to identify SDHAF1 mutations in further patients and to delineate th...

Methotrexate-induced leukoencephalopathy is to be considered as a potential etiology in any patient presenting with stroke-like symptoms after receiving methotrexate. One of our cases suggests that the method of administration of the methotrexate can be IV or intrathecal and still results in leukoencephalopathy.

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) refers to the presence of paradoxical clinical deterioration attributable to immune system recovery during highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We present an immunocompetent patient with multifocal leukoencephalopathy on HAART, with central nervous system (CNS) IRIS pathology of unknown infectious etiology. CNS IRIS pathology should be...

BACKGROUND Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is a severe demyelinating disease caused by the polyoma JC virus in patients with reduced immunocompetence. A few cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy have been reported in patients treated with fumaric acid esters. CASE PRESENTATION A 53-year-old Caucasian woman reported to our clinic with a first focal epileptic seizure an...

Recent advances in biochemical and molecular genetics have led to the discovery of new leukoencephalopathies. Despite these advances, many patients with leukoencephalopathy remain undiagnosed. A systematic approach to the investigation of these patients is needed to select the most appropriate testing strategy. In this article, the author presents a clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)...

We report a case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy developing in a fludarabine-naïve patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. We suggest that progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy should be considered in any chronic lymphocytic leukemia patient with unexplained neurological symptoms. Treatment history does not necessarily require fludarabine. Intrathecal cytosine arabinoside ...

Megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts is a rare leukodystrophy that is characterized by macrocephaly and a slowly progressive clinical course. It is one of the most commonly reported leukoencephalopathies in Turkey. Mutations in the MLC1 gene are the main cause of the disease. We report two patients with megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts with confir...

Tacrolimus is an immunosuppressive agent that can show a wide variety of neurologic side effects, including leukoencephalopathy. Although the prognosis is good-after cessation or dose reduction, complete recovery usually occurs-the differentiation with treatable diseases such as progressive multifocal encephalopathy can be difficult, making a stereotactic biopsy of the white matter lesion somet...