Abstract
Described here is a case of accidental intrathecal administration of vincristine
with pathologic findings in the central nervous system. A 3-year-old boy with
acute lymphoblastic leukemia, was given his ninth course chemotherapy.
Vincristine was accidentally injected intrathecally. The clinical course was
rapidly progressive (6-day course) and resulted in death. An autopsy was done.
The brain and spinal cord was grossly edematous and congested without any
specific feature. Histologically, profound loss of neuron was noted in the
spinal cord. Remaining neurons in the spinal cord, particularly anterior horn
cells were markedly swollen. The spinal nerves show diffuse axonal degeneration
and myelin loss. The upstream portion of the spinal cord (brain stem,
cerebellum, cerebrum) showed patchy loss of neurons, especially Purkinje cells
and granular cells of the cerebellar cortex. Many neurons showed axonal reaction
(chromatolysis) with swelling. Several neurons show intracytoplasmic
eosinophilic inclusion body. Myelin loss, axonal swelling and enlargement of
perivascular spaces were seen throughout the white matter of central nervous
system.