Publications (3)11.79 Total impact
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Article: Successful treatment of hyperventilation-induced nystagmus in vestibular schwannoma with oxcarbacepine.
Journal of Neurology 07/2008; 255(7):1093. · 3.47 Impact Factor -
Article: Neuropsychological outcome after chemotherapy for primary CNS lymphoma: a prospective study.
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ABSTRACT: Combined radio- and chemotherapy for primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) is associated with a considerable risk of long-term neurotoxicity. The impact of high-dose methotrexate (MTX)-based chemotherapy alone on cognition and quality of life (QOL) is controversial. To assess the impact of the tumor itself and its treatment with high-dose MTX-based chemotherapy on long-term cognition and QOL in patients with PCNSL. Prospective neuropsychological examinations and MRI were performed in patients with PCNSL who were in complete remission for more than 12 months after completion of chemotherapy. A QOL assessment was performed at long-term follow-up. Twenty-three patients were eligible. The median follow-up period was 44 months after diagnosis. In long-term follow-up, 22 (95%) of 23 patients showed either preserved or improved cognitive functions as compared with pretreatment and immediate posttreatment baseline assessment. One patient showed an isolated decline in psychomotor speed. Eleven (48%) of 23 patients displayed at least mild cognitive deficits at long-term follow-up not related to therapy. Nineteen (83%) of 23 patients reported a good QOL. MRI revealed confluent white matter abnormalities in eight patients that were not associated with cognitive decline. In patients with primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) treated with a methotrexate (MTX)-based chemotherapy, no gross cognitive decline has to be expected as a long-term treatment effect. MTX-induced white matter changes apparent on MRI are not inevitably associated with cognitive impairment. Nevertheless, a substantial fraction of patients with PCNSL retain cognitive deficits as a residual symptom of the tumor.Neurology 05/2005; 64(7):1184-8. · 8.31 Impact Factor -
Article: Early relapses in primary CNS lymphoma after response to polychemotherapy without intraventricular treatment: results of a phase II study
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ABSTRACT: Background A systemic and intraventricular polychemotherapy regimen (the Bonn protocol) without radiotherapy resulted in durable responses in 75% of patients <60 years with primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL), but was complicated by a high rate of Ommaya reservoir infections. Here, the efficacy and toxicity of this regimen without intraventricular treatment was evaluated in PCNSL. Patients and methods From August 2003 to November 2005, 18 patients with PCNSL <60 years (median age, 53 years) were treated in a phase II trial with a high-dose methotrexate (MTX; cycles 1, 2, 4 and 5) and cytarabine (Ara-C; cycles 3 and 6) based systemic therapy including dexamethasone, vinca-alkaloids, ifosfamide and cyclophosphamide. Results Study accrual was prematurely stopped in November 2005 due to a high rate of early relapses. Seventeen of 18 patients were assessable for response: nine (53%) achieved complete response (CR), two (12%) complete response/unconfirmed (CRu) and two (12%) partial response (PR); four (24%) showed progressive disease (PD). One treatment was stopped due to toxicity. Median follow-up was 23 months, median response duration was only 10 months in responding patients, and median time to treatment failure (TTF) was 8 months in the whole group. Median overall survival (OS) has not been reached. Systemic toxicity was mainly hematologic. Conclusions In PCNSL patients <60 years, polychemotherapy without intraventricular treatment results in a high response rate, but is associated with early relapses in the majority of cases. This is in contrast to the results achieved with the same protocol but with intraventricular treatment.
