Hepatotoxicity induced by paclitaxel interaction with turmeric in association with a microcystin from a contaminated dietary supplement.

A 67-year-old Caucasian male with lung cancer was presented to the Emergency Department with asthenia, anorexia, jaundice and choluria. The patient's lung cancer was being treated medically by a combination of paclitaxel/carboplatin with bi-monthly frequency. The patient was also self-medicating with several natural products, including Chlorella (520 mg/day), Silybum marianum (total of 13.5 mg silymarin/day), zinc sulphate (5.5 mg), selenium (50 µg) and 15 g/day of Curcuma longa. In first chemotherapy cycle no toxicity was observed even he was taking other medications as budesonide and sitagliptin. The toxic events started only after the introduction of the dietary products. Chlorella had contamination with cyanobacteria (Oscillatoriales) and 1.08 µg of cyanotoxin Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) per gram of biomass was found. Patient was consuming ca 0.01 µg MC-LR/kg/day. This case report describes the first known case of paclitaxel toxicity probably related to pharmacokinetic interaction with Turmeric and a contaminated Chlorella supplement resulting in an acute toxic hepatitis and the impact on oncologic patient health.

When kidneys are no longer a friend: An ‘out of the box’ management for an unexpected evolution of an uncommon disease / Cuando los riñones dejan de ser un amigo: Una gestión ‘fuera de la caja’ de una evolución imprevista de una enfermedad poco común

No disponible

Giant high-pressure pulmonary artery aneurysm in an elderly patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The authors report the case of a 74-year-old man, with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), GOLD grade 3, stable for the past two decades, who was admitted to our center with severe right heart failure. The chest radiograph showed moderate heart enlargement mainly of the right atrium and pulmonary artery, similar to previous chest radiographs in the previous 20 years. The transthoracic echocardiogram showed a pulmonary artery aneurysm (PAA), dilatation of the right chambers with pulmonary artery systolic pressure of 52 mmHg, and preserved right ventricular systolic function. A thoracic computed tomography scan confirmed the presence of a giant PAA 72 mm in diameter. The patient was started on high-dose diuretics, with significant clinical improvement. After optimization of medical therapy right heart catheterization was carried out with the patient in optimal clinical condition, which revealed mild precapillary pulmonary hypertension with a mean pulmonary artery pressure of 26 mmHg. On the basis of the clinical and imaging findings a stable, giant, high-pressure, PAA was diagnosed secondary to pulmonary hypertension induced by COPD, with a 20-year follow-up without need for surgical repair, which helped in our decision to maintain medical surveillance. The recent onset of heart failure is explained by the unfavorable evolution of COPD. This case may change the attitude expressed in previous studies favoring the choice of an invasive approach to treat giant high-pressure PAAs, instead supporting the maintenance of medical treatment.