Scleroderma-like changes of both lower extremities caused by gemcitabine chemotherapy
1 Department of Pharmacy, the First People′s Hospital of Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, Changzhou 213003, China; 2 Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China
Abstract:A 63-year-old female patient received gemcitabine (1.2 g by an IV infusion on the first day) and carboplatin combination chemotherapy (500 mg by an IV infusion on the second day) because of postoperative recurrence of ovarian cancer. After finishing the first chemotherapy, the patient had slight edema and stabbing pain of both legs, and the skin from ankle to the middle of both legs gradually turned reddish. Then the stabbing pain and edema were gradually relieved and the epidermis was gradually thickened. After finishing the second chemotherapy, the skin stabbing pain and edema of both lower extremities were aggravated. During the interval of chemotherapy, the stabbing pain and edema were gradually reduced, but the skin of her legs gradually turned dark brown, the epidermis became thick and hard, showing typical scleroderma-like changes. After finishing the third chemotherapy, the stabbing pain and edema of the lower extremities were aggravated again. Then the patient was lost to follow-up. No skin injury occurred during 6 times of paclitaxel liposome and carboplatin combination chemotherapy. So the scleroderma-like changes in the patient was considered to be related to gemcitabine.