Seizures During Treatment Of Childhood Leukemia, Possible Development Of Some Epilepsy
Dec 03, 2025
Choi Sun-ah, a professor of pediatrics at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, published a study in collaboration with Dr. Shifte Satter at the Radi Center for Epilepsy at the University of San Diego (UCSD) in California.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia can cause seizures due to side effects of anticancer drugs, electrolyte abnormalities, unstable blood pressure, and infection during treatment. The research team analyzed the clinical features and progress of patients with seizures among children and adolescents treated after diagnosis of childhood leukemia.
The research team followed up 23 patients with B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (B-ALL) for about 14 years from 2011 to 2024. The average age for diagnosing leukemia was 6.1 years, and the time of first seizure was 8.5 years, 28 months after the diagnosis of leukemia.
As a result of the study, 17 of 23 patients (73.9%) were temporally induced seizures, mainly associated with neurotoxicity caused by the anticancer drug methotrexate (MTX). Of these, seven patients (30.4%) developed chronic epilepsy and five patients (21.7%) developed drug refractory epilepsy. Some of the drug refractory epilepsy were treated surgically, and others were diagnosed with Lennox-Gasto syndrome.
In particular, the age of seizures was significantly higher in patients who progressed to chronic epilepsy, and many of the patients were observed on MRI. This suggests that leukopenia caused by the anticancer drug MTX may act as a potential risk factor for epilepsy in certain genetically vulnerable individuals.
Choi Sun-ah, a professor of pediatric and adolescent department at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, said "Most seizures during childhood leukemia treatment end as a temporary phenomenon, but in some patients, epilepsy may persist."Long-term neurological follow-up is important, especially for survivors of acute lymphocytic leukemia who are late in attack age or who have been confirmed to have leukopenia on MRI."
On the other hand, the study was published in the December issue of the international journal Epilepsy Research' with 'Epilepsy in Children and Adolescents with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia'.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia can cause seizures due to side effects of anticancer drugs, electrolyte abnormalities, unstable blood pressure, and infection during treatment. The research team analyzed the clinical features and progress of patients with seizures among children and adolescents treated after diagnosis of childhood leukemia.
The research team followed up 23 patients with B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (B-ALL) for about 14 years from 2011 to 2024. The average age for diagnosing leukemia was 6.1 years, and the time of first seizure was 8.5 years, 28 months after the diagnosis of leukemia.
As a result of the study, 17 of 23 patients (73.9%) were temporally induced seizures, mainly associated with neurotoxicity caused by the anticancer drug methotrexate (MTX). Of these, seven patients (30.4%) developed chronic epilepsy and five patients (21.7%) developed drug refractory epilepsy. Some of the drug refractory epilepsy were treated surgically, and others were diagnosed with Lennox-Gasto syndrome.
In particular, the age of seizures was significantly higher in patients who progressed to chronic epilepsy, and many of the patients were observed on MRI. This suggests that leukopenia caused by the anticancer drug MTX may act as a potential risk factor for epilepsy in certain genetically vulnerable individuals.
Choi Sun-ah, a professor of pediatric and adolescent department at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, said "Most seizures during childhood leukemia treatment end as a temporary phenomenon, but in some patients, epilepsy may persist."Long-term neurological follow-up is important, especially for survivors of acute lymphocytic leukemia who are late in attack age or who have been confirmed to have leukopenia on MRI."
On the other hand, the study was published in the December issue of the international journal Epilepsy Research' with 'Epilepsy in Children and Adolescents with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia'.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
