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Published in: Pediatric Radiology 11/2011

01-11-2011 | Pictorial Essay

Medication neurotoxicity in children

Authors: Ramesh S. Iyer, Apeksha Chaturvedi, Sumit Pruthi, Paritosh C. Khanna, Gisele E. Ishak

Published in: Pediatric Radiology | Issue 11/2011

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Abstract

Medication neurotoxicity may have a variety of imaging manifestations in children. In this pictorial essay, we review the two most common brain injury patterns, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) and acute toxic leukoencephalopathy (ATL). Proposed etiologies, salient features on neurological imaging, and methods for differentiating these entities and their implications will be discussed. Certain agents do not fall into these two broad patterns but instead characteristically involve central structures. We individually review several medications and their respective neurotoxic appearances including methotrexate, cyclosporine A, tacrolimus, metronidazole and vigabatrin. Diagnosis of medication neurotoxicity may be achieved by the combination of new-onset neurological deficits, recent initiation of a new therapy agent and distinctive findings on magnetic resonance imaging. Clinical and radiological improvement and/or resolution are frequently observed after the agent is discontinued.
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Metadata
Title
Medication neurotoxicity in children
Authors
Ramesh S. Iyer
Apeksha Chaturvedi
Sumit Pruthi
Paritosh C. Khanna
Gisele E. Ishak
Publication date
01-11-2011
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Pediatric Radiology / Issue 11/2011
Print ISSN: 0301-0449
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1998
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-011-2191-3

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