1. Hemolytic uremic syndrome due to gemcitabine in a young woman with cholangiocarcinoma
- Author
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Lina María Serna Higuita, Arbey Aristizabal-Alzate, John Fredy Nieto-Ríos, Cristian Ivan García Rincón, Mónica Zuluaga-Quintero, Gustavo Adolfo Zuluaga-Valencia, Catalina Ocampo-Kohn, Kenny Mauricio Gálvez-Cárdenas, and Adriana Alejandra Florez-Vargas
- Subjects
Adult ,Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic ,medicine.medical_specialty ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Renal function ,Deoxycytidine ,Gastroenterology ,Cholangiocarcinoma ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Doxycycline ,Chemotherapy ,business.industry ,General Medicine ,Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia ,medicine.disease ,Gemcitabine ,Hemolysis ,Bile Duct Neoplasms ,Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome ,Female ,Rituximab ,Hemodialysis ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Gemcitabine is a medication used to treat various types of malignant neoplasms. Its association with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) has been described in few cases, although these cases have resulted in mortality rates of at least 50%. We report on the case of a 25-year-old patient with cholangiocarcinoma in remission who developed microangiopathic hemolytic anemia with acute anuric renal failure after receiving 5 cycles of gemcitabine chemotherapy; this condition was consistent with HUS caused by the side effects of this drug. The administration of gemcitabine was stopped, and hemodialysis, blood transfusions, plasma exchanges, steroids, doxycycline, and rituximab were used to treat the patient. A favorable outcome was achieved; in particular, hemolysis was controlled, and renal function was completely recovered.
- Published
- 2016
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