Late radiation injury following hyperfractionated craniospinal radiotherapy for primitive neuroectodermal tumor

Abstract

Purpose: To document the late radiographic change following hyperfractionated craniospinal radiotherapy for primitive neuroectodermal tumor.

Methods and materials: We reviewed long-term MRI scans on 21 patients with standard risk and high risk primitive neuroectodermal tumor treated with hyperfractionated radiotherapy following surgical resection. High risk patients also received adjuvant chemotherapy. Long-term scans were defined as scan obtained at least 1 year from diagnosis. Clinical follow-up data was available on all patients.

Results: Twelve of 21 patients had MRI evidence of necrosis, telangiectasia, white matter changes, basal ganglia change, or cerebral atrophy consistent with radiation injury. No patient required treatment for the radiographic change.

Conclusions: Slightly over half of the patients had evidence of long-term radiation effect following craniospinal axis radiotherapy. However, no patient had frank clinical symptoms related to the radiographic findings.