Abstract:

Objective To improve the understanding of methotrexate-induced acute encephalopathy and explore the efficacy and safety of dextromethorphan in the treatment of methotrexate-induced central neurotoxicity. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on a patient in our hospital with acute encephalopathy caused by high-dose intravenous methotrexate combined with intrathecal methotrexate. Additionally, the published literature was reviewed to evaluate the potential efficacy and safety of dextromethorphan. Results The child was diagnosed with stage IV Burkitt lymphoma and was treated with chemotherapy in the China Net Childhood Lymphoma-mature B-cell lymphoma 2017 (CNCL-B-NHL-2017) C group. On the day following the initial administration of methotrexate, the patient exhibited clinical symptoms, including headache and visual impairment, and multiple patchy T2WI hypersignal images in the bilateral occipital cortex and bilateral cerebellar hemispheres were observed on head MRI. After oral administration of dextromethorphan, there was a gradual recovery of binocular vision and a reduction in the clinical symptoms. Conclusion In the case of acute encephalopathy induced by methotrexate, early treatment with dextromethorphan may have a therapeutic effect on severe neurotoxicity induced by methotrexate.

Key words: methotrexate, neurotoxicity, dextromethorphan