ABSTRACT
Introduction: We report a patient with bowel infarction due to invasive Aspergillus infection as a result of prolonged chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.
Clinical Picture: The patient was given neoadjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin, docetaxel, and capecitabine for a breast tumour. She developed prolonged neutropenia, Escherichia coli and Candida krusei sepsis, acute arterial thrombosis of the left lower limb, and invasive Aspergillus infection. Treatment: She underwent a subtotal colectomy, small intestine resection and an above-knee amputation. Outcome: The hospitalisation was complicated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia and short gut syndrome. She subsequently underwent simple mastectomy with axillary clearance and received adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation without complication. Conclusion: Chemotherapy should be protocol-directed. In a non-trial situation, protocol must have a sound basis, proven safety, and efficacy. Aspergillus infection is uncommon in patients with solid tumours; prompt treatment must be started on high suspicion.The role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced breast cancer has been established and there has been a growing interest in its role in early and operable breast cancer.1 Most neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic regimes contain an anthracycline and are usually combined with cyclophosphamide, with or without 5-fluorouracil.
This article is available only as a PDF. Please click on “Download PDF” on top to view the full article.
