Da. Franco et Hs. Greenberg, 5-FU multifocal inflammatory leukoencephalopathy and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency, NEUROLOGY, 56(1), 2001, pp. 110-112
Multifocal inflammatory leukoencephalopathy (MIL) is a cerebral demyelinati
ng syndrome that develops after chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and
levamisole. The authors report a patient who developed MIL after 5-FU admi
nistration not in association with levamisole. She was subsequently diagnos
ed with partial deficiency of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, an enzyme ne
cessary for 5-FU catabolism. The authors suggest that MIL is a direct resul
t of 5-FU chemotherapy and that patients with dihydropyrimidine dehydrogena
se deficiency are at increased risk for this and other toxic effects of 5-F
U.