Toxic megacolon complicating chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukaemia.

Abstract

A 43 year old woman in remission from acute myeloid leukaemia developed abdominal pain, severe melaena, diarrhoea and gram-negative septicaemia whilst severely pancytopenic following consolidation chemotherapy. Subsequently, serial abdominal X-rays showed a progressive toxic megacolon. Conservative management was attempted but, because of radiological evidence of increasing colonic dilatation and incipient perforation, an emergency defunctioning colostomy was performed. The patient recovered and 2 months later the caecostomy was reversed and a right hemicolectomy performed. This first described case of toxic megacolon following leukaemia treatment is compared with three previously described cases following cytotoxic chemotherapy for other conditions.

• Authors: M A Wodziński, J A Snowden, J T Reilly
• Journal: Postgraduate medical journal (Postgrad Med J) Vol. 70 Issue 830 Pg. 921-3 (Dec 1994) ISSN: 0032-5473 [Print] England
• PMID: 7870642 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Amsacrine
• Cytarabine
• Etoposide
• Daunorubicin

Topics

• Adult
• Amsacrine (administration & dosage)
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (adverse effects)
• Cytarabine (administration & dosage)
• Daunorubicin (administration & dosage)
• Etoposide (administration & dosage)
• Female
• Humans
• Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute (complications, drug therapy)
• Megacolon, Toxic (chemically induced)