MR imaging in the early stage of 5-fluorouracil-induced leukoencephalopathy: DWI, MR perfusion, and MR spectroscopy

Abstract

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), a pyrimidine antimetabolite, is a comonly used chemotherapeutic agent for a range of solid organ ancers [1]. Among adverse effect of 5-FU, neurotoxicity is uncomon and has been reported in less than 5% of patients receiving -FU therapy [1]. The neurotoxicity, however, can be serious and ncludes symptoms such as disorientation, confusion, seizure, stuor, and coma [1]. MR imaging findings of 5-FU-induced encephalopathy has been nown that diffuse high signal intensity in corpus callosum and eep cerebral white matter on T2-weighted images and diffusion eighted images. Although several case reports have described RI findings including DWI, to our knowledge there has not yet een a comprehensive assessment including special studies such s MR spectroscopy and MR perfusion. We report the MR imagng findings, including MR perfusion, MR spectroscopy, and DWI, n a patient who developed encephalopathy after receiving 5-FU hemotherapy for cervix cancer.