Reactions 1427 - 10 Nov 2012

★ SAntineoplastics

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (firstreports) in an elderly patient: case report

A 66-year-old man developed progressive multifocalleukoencephalopathy (PML) after receiving antineoplastics.He later died.

The man, who had a history of myeloma since 2004, hadreceived various lines of chemotherapy, includingthalidomide from 2006 to 2007, lenalidomide from 2007 to2009, bendamustine from 2009 to 2011 and bortezomibsince September 2011 [dosages and routes not stated]. InDecember 2011, he developed left visual field loss, and inearly January 2012, he experienced difficulties holding hiswalking frame with his left hand. By mid-January, he hadhemiplegia and was admitted. He then developed frontalsyndrome and cognitive impairment. Imaging findingswere suggestive of an ischaemic origin. In February, he wasreadmitted with seizures. EEG revealed slow activity, whileimaging findings were consistent with progressive PML. Adiagnosis of PML was confirmed by PCR positive for JCvirus. He died 2 months after his diagnosis [cause of deathnot stated].

Author comment: "[O]ur case is the first case report withbortezomib. Previous chemotherapies may probably be a riskfactor of PML."Rucheton A, et al. Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy AfterChemotherapies: A Case Report. Drug Safety 35: 914 abstr. P080, No. 10, Oct2012. - France 803079559

» Editorial comment: A search of AdisBase, Medline andEmbase did not reveal any previous case reports ofprogressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy associated withbortezomib, lenalidomide or thalidomide. The WHO ADRdatabase contained four reports of progressive multifocalleukoencephalopathy associated with bortezomib, fourreports with lenalidomide and three reports withthalidomide.

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Reactions 10 Nov 2012 No. 14270114-9954/10/1427-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved