Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of seizures in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during chemotherapy.
Methods: Children with ALL with seizures during chemotherapy admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Peking University People's Hospital from January 2010 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical data including the incidence of seizure, time at seizure onset, causes, management, and prognosis were collected retrospectively.
Results: A total of 932 children with ALL were admitted during the study period, of whom, 75 (8%) were complicated with seizures during the period of chemotherapy. There were 40 males and 35 females, with a median age of 7.5 (1-17) years, and 43 cases (57.3%) occurred within the first 2 months of chemotherapy. The underlying diseases were reversible posterior encephalopathy syndrome (n=15), cerebral hemorrhage (n=10, one of whom was complicated with venous sinus thrombosis), intrathecal or systemic methotrexate administration (n=11), brain abscess (n=7, fungal infection in 3 cases, and bacterial in 4), viral encephalitis (n=2), febrile seizure (n=7), hyponatremia (n=7), hypocalcemia (n=2), and unknown cause (n=14). Sixty-four children underwent neuroimaging examination after seizure occurrence, of whom 37 (57.8%) were abnormal. The electroencephalograhpy (EEG) was performed in 44 cases and was abnormal in 24 (54.4%). Fifty-five patients remained in long-term remission with regular chemotherapy, 8 patients received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, 9 died and 3 lost to follow-up. Symptomatic epilepsy was diagnosed in 18 cases (24%), and was well controlled in 16 with over 1 year of seizure-free. Whereas 2 cases were refractory to anti-seizure medications.
Conclusion: Seizures are relatively common in children with ALL, most commonly due to reversible posterior encephalopathy syndrome, methotrexate-related neurotoxicity, and cerebral hemorrhage. Seizures occurred within 2 months of chemotherapy in most cases. Neuroimaging and EEG should be performed as soon as possible after the first seizure onset to identify the etiology and to improve the treatment regimen. Some cases developed symptomatic epilepsy, with a satisfactory outcome of seizure remission mostly after concurrent antiseizure medication therapy.
目的: 探讨急性淋巴细胞白血病患儿化疗过程中出现癫痫发作的临床特点、治疗和预后。
方法: 回顾性分析2010年1月至2022年3月北京大学人民医院儿科收治的化疗过程中合并癫痫发作的急性淋巴细胞白血病患儿, 总结癫痫发作的发病率、发病时间、病因、治疗和预后。
结果: 研究期间共收治急性淋巴细胞白血病患儿932例, 其中75例(8%)在化疗过程中合并癫痫发作症状, 男40例, 女35例, 中位年龄7.5岁(1~17岁)。43例(57.3%)患儿的癫痫发作发生在开始化疗的前2个月内, 直接原因分别为可逆性后部脑病综合征(15例)、脑出血(10例, 其中1例合并静脉窦血栓形成)、鞘内注射或全身应用氨甲蝶呤(11例)、脑脓肿(真菌性3例, 细菌性4例)、病毒性脑炎(2例)、热性惊厥(7例)、低钠血症(7例)、低钙血症(2例); 14例患儿的癫痫发作病因不明。64例患儿在癫痫发作后行头颅影像学检查, 其中37例(57.8%)异常; 44例行脑电图检查, 其中24例(54.4%)异常。55例患儿经规律化疗后骨髓持续缓解, 8例行造血干细胞移植, 9例死亡, 3例失访。18例(24%)患儿诊断为症状性癫痫, 多数予抗癫痫发作药物控制良好, 2例为药物难治性癫痫。
结论: 癫痫发作在急性淋巴细胞白血病患儿中不少见, 最常见的病因为可逆性后部脑病综合征、氨甲蝶呤相关性神经毒性、脑出血。癫痫发作大多发生在化疗开始的2个月内; 在首次癫痫发作后, 应尽快完善神经影像学和脑电图检查以协助明确病因及指导治疗; 部分病例可发展为症状性癫痫, 大多数预后良好, 个别为药物难治性癫痫。
Keywords: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia; Antineoplastic combined chemotherapy protocols; Child; Seizures.