Radiation therapy-related ataxia associated with FDG-PET cerebellar hypometabolism

Acta Neurol Belg. 2010 Mar;110(1):100-2.

Abstract

Brain FDG-PET after radiation therapy is classically used to differentiate between tumor recurrence and radiation-related tumor necrosis. Little is known about FDG-PET in patients with radiation-induced leukoencephalopathy without radiological aspect of necrosis. We present a 69-year-old woman who had preventive whole brain radiation after a diagnosis of paraneoplastic Lambert-Eaton syndrome related to small cell lung cancer Five months after radiation therapy, she developed radiation-induced leukoencephalopathy manifested by ataxia. Profound cerebellar hypometabolism on FDG-PET was in contrast with the presence of only discrete cerebellar white matter changes on MRI. FDG-PET abnormalities seem to correlate better with clinical signs related to radiation-associated brain toxicity than MRI.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Ataxia / diagnostic imaging*
  • Ataxia / etiology*
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Small Cell / complications
  • Carcinoma, Small Cell / radiotherapy
  • Cerebellar Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
  • Cerebellar Diseases / etiology*
  • Female
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Humans
  • Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome / complications
  • Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome / radiotherapy
  • Lung Neoplasms / complications
  • Lung Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Middle Aged
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods
  • Radiotherapy / adverse effects*
  • Ultrasonography

Substances

  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18