We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Typhlitis (neutropenic enterocolitis) after a single dose of vinorelbine.
- Authors
Ferrazzí, Eros; Toso, Silvia; Zanotti, Miriam; Giuliano, Giuseppina; Ferrazzí, E; Toso, S; Zanotti, M; Giuliano, G
- Abstract
We report a case of a 50-year-old man with pretreated adenocarcinoma of the lung, who developed fatal neutropenic enterocolitis (typhlitis) after a standard dose of the cytotoxic drug vinorelbine. Blood cultures were negative for all microorganisms tested for. Stool cultures were negative for enteric rods but direct examination of fresh stool revealed the presence of Giardia lamblia. Abdominal pain and diarrhoea developed very rapidly while the patient was only moderately neutropenic. Metronidazole was prescribed without clinical benefit: the abdominal pain remained stable. The duration of neutropenia was very short (4 days). The abdominal catastrophe ending in shock occurred after complete recovery of the neutrophil count. Neutropenic colitis has been reported with increasing frequency in solid tumours after the introduction of taxanes. This complication has been observed mainly in phase I studies, near the maximally tolerated doses (MTD). The combined use of vinorelbine has recently been reported to exacerbate the toxic effects of taxane on the colon. The case presented here demonstrates that typhlitis can occur even with vinorelbine alone, used at a standard recommended dose (30 mg/m2).
- Subjects
NEONATAL necrotizing enterocolitis; VINORELBINE; ANTINEOPLASTIC agents; TUMORS; INTESTINAL diseases; COLON diseases
- Publication
Cancer Chemotherapy & Pharmacology, 2001, Vol 47, Issue 3, p277
- ISSN
0344-5704
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1007/s002800000218