CT and MR imaging of central nervous system effects of therapy in patients treated for hematological malignancies.

The purpose of this article is to present the imaging appearance of central nervous system effects of therapy that may occur in patients treated for hematological malignancies. Imaging in these patients relates to complications of high-dose therapy, bone marrow transplantation, infections occurring in immunocompromised patients, central nervous system dysfunction due to failure of other organ systems, or cerebral hemorrhages due to platelet refractoriness. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is essential but often difficult, as neurological manifestations are rarely disease specific. Neurological imaging, in combination with electrophysiological studies as well as blood and cerebrospinal fluid investigations, may be helpful for diagnosing most of these complications, as well as in differentiating between the manifestations of the underlying disease and complications of the treatment.