Radiation-induced leukoencephalopathy presents clinically as a cognitive disorder chronologically associated with radiotherapy. The characteristic findings are: acute reversible edema, demyelination and vascular necrosis associated with thrombosis. The diagnostic test of choice is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the treatment is with corticosteroids. We present a case of a patient with brain metastases who developed a post-radiotherapy leukoencephalopathy.
desmielinización
Esclerosis Multiple en un Hospital del Litoral Ecuatoriano.
Objective: An observational study was conducted in 45 patients with Multiple Sclerosis in a hospital in the Ecuadorian Coast, in order to characterize the disease in our environment.
Methods: During the period of 8 years (2002 – 2010), demographic and clinical characteristics, disability status using the modified Kurtzke, assessment of functional systems and response to immunomodulatory treatment are evaluated.
Results: Of the 45 patients studied 58% were women, the most common age group was between 30 – 39 years. The predominating type was relapsing remitting (RR) followed by secondary progressive (SP). It is determined that the nuclear magnetic resonance (RM) is the complementary method of choice for diagnosis and monitoring of patients and the relapse rate was low using immunomodulatory therapy.
Conclusions: The study suggests that the presentation of the disease in a hospital in the Ecuadorian coast is lower than in the inter-Andean region probably due to demographics or other factors yet to be determined, but that the clinical features, the subtypes of the disease and immunomodulatory treatment response is similar to the series found in countries of the same characteristics.
