[Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and malignant non-Hodgkin lymphoma in childhood (author's transl)]

Abnormal brain findings on computer assisted tomography can be expected in 30-50% of cases after acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and malignant non-Hodgkin lymphoma in childhood. In order to define more exactly the influence of necessary treatment of the CNS in these diseases a computer assisted tomography was performed in 27 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and 3 children with malignant non-Hodgkin lymphoma before head irradiation and intrathecal cytostatic injection had been given. Abnormal findings were seen in 10 out of 30 children. Thus the previously reported abnormalities in computer assisted tomography scans after CNS treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or non-Hodgkin lymphoma are probably not due to treatment in the majority of cases. A statistically significant correlation taking varying clinical criteria into account could not be obtained on comparison of the two groups.