Development of Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) Following Intrathecal Methotrexate (MTX) Therapy in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report
Yıl 2025,
Cilt: 10 Sayı: 3, 105 - 108, 31.12.2025
Mustafa Orhan Duyar
,
Mehmet Akif Dündar
,
Serra Dağhan
,
Fatma Türkan Mutlu
Öz
Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) is a neurological disorder characterized by headache, seizures, visual disturbances, and altered consciousness, along with distinctive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. This report presents a 4-year-old boy who developed PRES following intrathecal methotrexate administration. The patient had been diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and was started on chemotherapy according to the ALL Induction Protocol-1. Forty-eight hours after intrathecal methotrexate administration, he developed headache and projectile vomiting, followed by generalized tonic-clonic seizures, agitation, and the need for mechanical ventilation. His vital signs revealed hypertension. Brain MRI demonstrated hyperintense lesions in the bilateral parieto-occipital regions on T2-weighted and FLAIR sequences, without diffusion restriction. A diagnosis of PRES was made, and antihypertensive, anti-edema, and supportive treatments were initiated. He was extubated on day 8, and his neurological examination returned completely to normal by day 12. Follow-up MRI performed on day 14 showed no pathological findings. This case highlights the importance of early recognition and management of methotrexate-associated PRES in pediatric oncology patients.
Etik Beyan
Informed Consent Statement: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient’s legal guardian for publication of this case report and any accompanying images.
Destekleyen Kurum
Conflict of Interest: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Financial Disclosure: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Teşekkür
Acknowledgments: None.
Kaynakça
-
1. Pavlidou E, Pavlou E, Anastasiou A, Pana Z, Tsotoulidou V, Kinali
M, et al. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome after
intrathecal methotrexate infusion: a case report and literature update.
Quant Imaging Med Surg. 2016 Oct;6(5):605–611.
-
2. Utsumi K, Amemiya S, Iizuka M, Iino Y, Katayama Y. Acute
posterior leukoencephalopathy in a patient with nephrotic syndrome.
Clin Exp Nephrol. 2003 Mar 1;7(1):63–66.
-
3. Emeksiz S, Kutlu NO, Caksen H, Alkan G, Seker Yikmaz H, Tokgoz
H. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in children: a case
series. Türk Pediatri Arş. 2016 Dec 26;51(4):217–220.
-
4. De Laat P, Te Winkel ML, Devos AS, Catsman-Berrevoets CE,
Pieters R, Van Den Heuvel-Eibrink MM. Posterior reversible
encephalopathy syndrome in childhood cancer. Ann Oncol. 2011
Feb;22(2):472–478.
-
5. Hinchey J, Chaves C, Appignani B, Breen J, Pao L, Wang A, et al. A
reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome. N Engl J Med.
1996 Feb 22;334(8):494–500.
-
6. Dufourg MN, Landman-Parker J, Auclerc MF, Schmitt C,
Perel Y, Michel G, et al. Age and high-dose methotrexate are
associated to clinical acute encephalopathy in FRALLE 93 trial
for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children. Leukemia. 2007 Feb
1;21(2):238–247.
-
7. Endo A, Fuchigami T, Hasegawa M, Hashimoto K, Fujita Y, Inamo
Y, et al. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in childhood:
Report of four cases and review of the literature. Pediatr EmergCare. 2012 Feb;28(2):153–157.
-
8. Güler T, Çakmak ÖY, Toprak SK, Kibaroğlu S, Can U. Intrathecal
methotrexate-induced posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome
(PRES). Turk J Hematol. 2014 Mar 1;31(1):109–110.
-
9. Aradillas E, Arora R, Gasperino J. Methotrexate-induced posterior
reversible encephalopathy syndrome: Methotrexate-induced PRES.
J Clin Pharm Ther. 2011 Aug;36(4):529–536.
-
10. Hart C, Kinney MO, McCarron MO. Posterior reversible
encephalopathy syndrome and oral methotrexate. Clin Neurol
Neurosurg. 2012 Jul;114(6):725–727.
-
11. Fugate JE, Rabinstein AA. Posterior reversible encephalopathy
syndrome: clinical and radiological manifestations, pathophysiology,
and outstanding questions. Lancet Neurol. 2015 Sep;14(9):914–925.
-
12. Bhojwani D, Sabin ND, Pei D, Yang JJ, Khan RB, Panetta JC, et
al. Methotrexate-induced neurotoxicity and leukoencephalopathy in
childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Clin Oncol. 2014 Mar
20;32(9):949–959.
Pediatrik Bir Hastada İntratekal Metotreksat (MTX) Tedavisini Takiben Gelişen Posterior Reversibl Ensefalopati Sendromu (PRES): Olgu Sunumu
Yıl 2025,
Cilt: 10 Sayı: 3, 105 - 108, 31.12.2025
Mustafa Orhan Duyar
,
Mehmet Akif Dündar
,
Serra Dağhan
,
Fatma Türkan Mutlu
Öz
Posterior Reversibl Ensefalopati Sendromu (PRES), baş ağrısı, nöbet, görme bozuklukları ve bilinç değişiklikleri ile seyreden, karakteristik manyetik rezonans görüntüleme (MRG) bulguları ile tanımlanan nörolojik bir sendromdur. Bu olguda, intratekal metotreksat tedavisini takiben PRES gelişen 4 yaşında bir erkek çocuğu sunulmaktadır. Hasta, B-hücreli akut lenfoblastik lösemi (B-ALL) tanısıyla tedavi altına alınmış ve indüksiyon tedavisi olarak ALL Protokol-1A protokolüne göre kemoterapi başlanmıştır. İntratekal metotreksat uygulanmasından 48 saat sonra baş ağrısı, fışkırır tarzda kusma şikayetleri başlamış, daha sonra jeneralize tonik-klonik nöbet, ajitasyon ve mekanik ventilasyon ihtiyacı gelişmiştir. Vital bulgularında hipertansiyon saptanmış, beyin MRG’de bilateral parieto-oksipital bölgelerde T2 ve FLAIR sekanslarda hiperintens lezyonlar izlenmiş, difüzyon kısıtlanması izlenmemiştir. PRES tanısıyla antihipertansif, antiödem ve destek tedavileri verilmiştir. Sekizinci günde ekstübe edilmiş, on ikinci günde nörolojik muayenesi tamamen normale dönmüştür. Tanıdan 14 gün sonra çekilen kontrol MRG’de patoloji saptanmamıştır. Bu olgu, pediatrik onkoloji hastalarında metotreksata bağlı gelişebilecek PRES tablosunun erken tanı ve yönetiminin önemini vurgulamaktadır.
Kaynakça
-
1. Pavlidou E, Pavlou E, Anastasiou A, Pana Z, Tsotoulidou V, Kinali
M, et al. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome after
intrathecal methotrexate infusion: a case report and literature update.
Quant Imaging Med Surg. 2016 Oct;6(5):605–611.
-
2. Utsumi K, Amemiya S, Iizuka M, Iino Y, Katayama Y. Acute
posterior leukoencephalopathy in a patient with nephrotic syndrome.
Clin Exp Nephrol. 2003 Mar 1;7(1):63–66.
-
3. Emeksiz S, Kutlu NO, Caksen H, Alkan G, Seker Yikmaz H, Tokgoz
H. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in children: a case
series. Türk Pediatri Arş. 2016 Dec 26;51(4):217–220.
-
4. De Laat P, Te Winkel ML, Devos AS, Catsman-Berrevoets CE,
Pieters R, Van Den Heuvel-Eibrink MM. Posterior reversible
encephalopathy syndrome in childhood cancer. Ann Oncol. 2011
Feb;22(2):472–478.
-
5. Hinchey J, Chaves C, Appignani B, Breen J, Pao L, Wang A, et al. A
reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome. N Engl J Med.
1996 Feb 22;334(8):494–500.
-
6. Dufourg MN, Landman-Parker J, Auclerc MF, Schmitt C,
Perel Y, Michel G, et al. Age and high-dose methotrexate are
associated to clinical acute encephalopathy in FRALLE 93 trial
for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children. Leukemia. 2007 Feb
1;21(2):238–247.
-
7. Endo A, Fuchigami T, Hasegawa M, Hashimoto K, Fujita Y, Inamo
Y, et al. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in childhood:
Report of four cases and review of the literature. Pediatr EmergCare. 2012 Feb;28(2):153–157.
-
8. Güler T, Çakmak ÖY, Toprak SK, Kibaroğlu S, Can U. Intrathecal
methotrexate-induced posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome
(PRES). Turk J Hematol. 2014 Mar 1;31(1):109–110.
-
9. Aradillas E, Arora R, Gasperino J. Methotrexate-induced posterior
reversible encephalopathy syndrome: Methotrexate-induced PRES.
J Clin Pharm Ther. 2011 Aug;36(4):529–536.
-
10. Hart C, Kinney MO, McCarron MO. Posterior reversible
encephalopathy syndrome and oral methotrexate. Clin Neurol
Neurosurg. 2012 Jul;114(6):725–727.
-
11. Fugate JE, Rabinstein AA. Posterior reversible encephalopathy
syndrome: clinical and radiological manifestations, pathophysiology,
and outstanding questions. Lancet Neurol. 2015 Sep;14(9):914–925.
-
12. Bhojwani D, Sabin ND, Pei D, Yang JJ, Khan RB, Panetta JC, et
al. Methotrexate-induced neurotoxicity and leukoencephalopathy in
childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Clin Oncol. 2014 Mar
20;32(9):949–959.