[Central nervous system leukemia in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia]

The article deals with the analysis of treatment of 46 adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia over the period from 1981 to 1988. None of these patients had signs of central nervous system leukemia at the time of diagnosis. 11/46 (23.9%) of patients had a central nervous system leukaemia: a) 3/13 (23.1%) of patients with no prophylaxis--after Me = 6 months; b) 4/16 (25%) of patients who received intrathecal methotrexate--after Me = 4 months; c) 4/17 (23.5%) of patients who were given complete prophylaxis--after Me = 8 months. There was a simultaneous relapse in the bone marrow and central nervous system in 6/11 (54.5%) of patients. Survival of patients with central nervous system leukaemia was significantly lower than the survival of other patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia after 30 months.