Postirradiation syndrome and eeg findings in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Out of 12 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia treated with craniospinal irradiation during primary haematologic remission, 8 developed a postirradiation syndrome characterized by fever and tiredness. The symptoms lasted 1-2 weeks and subsided spontaneously. Longitudinal EEG studies revealed no acute disturbances during the irradiation therapy but in all cases studied, moderate to severe diffuse general slowing developed during the postirradiation syndrome. Complete normalization of the EEG occurred in all children at follow-up. It is concluded that the described EEG abnormalities constitute an integral part of the postirradiation syndrome.