title: Mediastinal extravasation of doxorubicin.
abstract: A 48-year-old woman with a diagnosis of breast carcinoma was treated with adjuvant chemotherapy through a central venous catheter with subcutaneous reservoir (Port-A-Cath). While doxorubicin was administered, the patient presented thoracic pain and breathing distress due to superior vena cava perforation by the central catheter and subsequent extravasation of the drug into the mediastinum. The patient recovered without sequelae with conservative therapy. Cytostatic extravasation via central catheter is an uncommon complication in clinical practice. In this paper we present the first doxorubicin extravasation through a central catheter in adults and review the only ten cases found in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Oncología Médica, Hospital Virgen de la Salud, Toledo, Spain. teresaqv@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Quintanar Verdúguez
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blanco Jarava
authors.forename: María Blanca
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Martínez-Barbeito
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pangua Méndez
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: López Gómez
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andrade Santiago
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chacón López-Muñiz
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005119:Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008482:Mediastinum / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004317:Doxorubicin