Early recognition of hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy type 1 can avoid life-threatening vincristine neurotoxicity

Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy type 1 (HMSN-1) is an autosomal dom inant disorder, which is usually not associated with neoplastic diseases. T he disease predisposes to severe vincristine neurotoxicity. We report a 31- year-old women with recurrent Hodgkin's lymphoma and unrecognized HMSN-1 wh o developed severe motor neuropathy 3 weeks after the first cycle of treatm ent including 2 mg of vincristine. HMSN is diagnosed in most cases retrospe ctively, usually suggested by the observation of foot abnormalities or fami ly history. Recognizing early signs of HMSN, such as areflexia and pes cavu s deformity, can prevent severe neurotoxicity of polychemotherapy by avoidi ng vincristine.