Reactions 1478, p8 - 16 Nov 2013

Antineoplastics

Skin rash in a child: case reportAn 8-year-old boy developed a skin rash during treatment

with the antineoplastics gemcitabine, ifosfamide, prednisoloneand vinorelbine.

The boy had Hodgkin’s disease. He had been treated withbleomycin, dacarbazine, doxorubicin and vinblastine. Due toprogressive disease, he started receiving chemotherapy withgemcitabine, vinorelbine, ifosfamide and prednisolone. Ineach 21-day cycle, he was scheduled to receive gemcitabine800 mg/m2 on days 1–4, ifosfamide 2000 mg/m2 on days 1–4,prednisolone 2 mg/kg on days 1–4 and vinorelbine 20 mg/m2

on day 1 [routes not stated]. On day 3 of treatment, heexhibited a skin rash that was maculopapular and pruritic. Hehad rashes that affected his chest, neck, back, abdominal walland upper arms.

The boy was treated with an antihistamine, and the rashesdecreased in severity. During the second cycle ofchemotherapy, he received gemcitabine again. The rashesreappeared. They were managed easily again withantihistamines.

Author comment: "The other drugs being used in thischild also cause skin rash and the possibility of this reactiondue to them, or additive effect of all the drugs cannot beruled out. . . The causal relationship of gemcitabine treatmentwith skin reaction is probable in our case according to theNaranjo probability scale."Dua V, et al. Gemcitabine induced skin rash. Indian Pediatrics 50: 430, No. 4, 16Apr 2013. Available from: URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13312-013-0109-x -India 803095698

» Editorial comment: Details of this case report havepreviously been published [see Reactions 1439 p18;803082950] as an abstract.

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Reactions 16 Nov 2013 No. 14780114-9954/13/1478-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2013 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved