Acalculous cholecystitis in a patient with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with sunitinib

Clin Genitourin Cancer. 2009 Jan;7(1):62-3. doi: 10.3816/CGC.2009.n.011.

Abstract

A 62-year-old woman was treated with sunitinib as a second-line therapy for metastatic clear-cell renal carcinoma. She was given oral sunitinib 50 mg once daily, 4 weeks on followed by 2 week off. During the fourth week of her first cycle, the patient was admitted to our hospital because of an acute-onset, right upper quadrant pain associated with nausea and vomiting. She was diagnosed with acute acalculous cholecystitis, which was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, and sunitinib therapy was discontinued. A follow-up computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed a complete resolution of gallbladder changes. Our patient did not have major risk factors for developing an acalculous cholecystitis except for a relative immunosuppressed state secondary to her advanced renal cancer. The Naranjo Adverse Drug Reaction Probability Scale score for this event was 5, indicating a probable association of the event with sunitinib. Because the use of sunitinib is expanding in clinical practice, we want to alert the oncology community about this uncommon and life-threatening complication in patients receiving sunitinib or another agent with antiangiogenic activity.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acalculous Cholecystitis / chemically induced*
  • Acalculous Cholecystitis / drug therapy
  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects*
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / surgery
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Indoles / adverse effects*
  • Kidney Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Kidney Neoplasms / pathology
  • Kidney Neoplasms / surgery
  • Middle Aged
  • Pyrroles / adverse effects*
  • Sunitinib
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Indoles
  • Pyrroles
  • Sunitinib