Vocal cord palsy after vincristine treatment in a child and the inefficacy of glutamic acid in the prevention of relapse: a case report

Journal of Medical Case Reports

Paolo D’Angelo¹  Gaspare Oddo²  Giuseppa Bruno¹  Sonia Cannella¹  Serena Tropia¹  Piero Farruggia¹ 

[1] Oncology Department, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Unit, A.R.N.A.S. Ospedali Civico, Di Cristina e Benfratelli, Piazza N. Leotta 4, Palermo, 90127, Italy;Clinic Department, Pharmaceutical Laboratory, A.R.N.A.S. Ospedali Civico, Di Cristina e Benfratelli, Piazza N. Leotta 4, Palermo, 90127, Italy

关键词: Vocal cord palsy;    Vincristine;    Neuropathy;    Glutamic acid;   

Others  :  1195804
DOI  :  10.1186/1752-1947-6-128

 received in 2011-12-01, accepted in 2012-05-14,  发布年份 2012

【 摘 要 】

Introduction

Vincristine is an antineoplastic drug with a well known efficacy for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and many solid tumors. No more than 20 pediatric patients with vincristine-induced vocal cord palsy have been reported, and to the best of our knowledge this is the first case where glutamic acid was administered with the aim of preventing a relapse of laryngeal dysfunction.

Case presentation

The larynx paralysis presented with hoarseness and stridor in a Caucasian 18-month-old girl and spontaneously resolved in about a month. In order to administer a subsequent full dose of vincristine, our patient received oral glutamic acid whose efficacy against vincristine neurological side effects has been previously reported.

Conclusions

Since in our patient the amino acid proved to be ineffective in the prevention of laryngeal paralysis relapse, we suggest that a dose reduction of vincristine should be preferred by oncologists as an initial approach after a case of drug-induced vocal cord palsy.

【 授权许可】

   
2012 Farruggia et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

Figure 6.

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