Neurologic Complications of Bone Marrow Transplantation

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT, also called hematopoietic stem cell transplantation) is now well established as a major treatment modality for a variety of disorders, including hematologic malignancies, myelodysplastic syndromes, lymphomas, multiple myeloma, aplastic anemia, Fanconi's anemia, thalassemia major, sickle cell anemia, chronic granulomatous disease, and several immunodeficiency syndromes including severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome, Chediak-Higashi disease, and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. More recently, it has shown promise in treating certain metabolic disorders including Gaucher's disease, amyloidosis, and metachromatic leukodystrophy. It is also being evaluated for solid malignancies and autoimmune disorders. In patients with malignancies, BMT allows the administration of what would otherwise be lethal dosages of chemotherapy. In others, it allows replacement of pathologic marrow or helps correct an existing enzymatic deficiency. In many cases, it offers patients the only chance for cure of their disease.