Imaging of Neurologic Complications in Hematological Disorders

Preface
Imaging of Neurologic
Complications in Hematologic
Disorders

Sangam Kanekar, MD
Editor

Hematologic disorders often affect the central and peripheral nervous systems in a
number of different ways, producing a wide range of neurologic symptoms. Some of
these neurologic complications are well described, but others are less clearly defined
and are mostly diagnosed on cross-section imaging like CT and MRI. Recent advances
in oncology therapy have greatly improved the prognosis of patients with hematologic
neoplasms. This has also resulted in an increased incidence of associated complica-
tions and toxic effects due to a longer term of survival of these patients.
Clinically, due to nonspecific presentation, central nervous system (CNS) complica-
tions are underdiagnosed. These complications may include hemorrhage; cerebral
infarction; infiltration of the meninges, parenchyma, bone marrow, orbit, and spine.
In addition, there may be CNS complications due to therapy; for example, radiation
therapyrelated white matter disease, mineralizing microangiopathy, parenchymal
brain volume loss, radiation-induced cryptic vascular malformations, and secondary
neoplasms.
I, along with my coauthors, present before you an issue of Hematology/Oncology
Clinics of North America dedicated to Imaging of Neurologic Complications in Hema-
tologic Disorders. This issue has in total twelve articles, predominately dedicated to
the imaging findings of neurologic complications in benign conditions and hematologic
neoplasms. We conclude that imaging along with clinical suspicion plays an important
role in early diagnosis of these complications and in turn will help in appropriate
intervention.
I thank all the authors for their superexcellent contributions that make this issue
an outstanding and extensive review on Imaging of Neurologic Complications in
Hematologic Disorders. I take this opportunity to thank Drs George P. Canellos,
MD and H. Franklin Bunn, MD for accepting my idea and giving me an opportunity

Hematol Oncol Clin N Am 30 (2016) xiiixiv

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hoc.2016.06.001 hemonc.theclinics.com
0889-8588/16/$ see front matter 2016 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Downloaded from ClinicalKey.com at Los Angeles County Department of Health Services April 01, 2017.
For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright 2017. Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
xiv Preface

to present this topic to a wider audience. I thank Kristen Helm for her continuous
editorial support in completing this issue. Finally, I thank my wife, Revati, and my
children, Samika and Rachita, for their support and love.
I hope you will enjoy reading this issue.

Sangam Kanekar, MD
Section of Neuroradiology
Departments of Radiology and Neurology
The Pennsylvania State University
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine
500 University Drive
Hershey
PA 17033, USA
E-mail address:
skanekar@hmc.psu.edu

Downloaded from ClinicalKey.com at Los Angeles County Department of Health Services April 01, 2017.
For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright 2017. Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.