title: Cisplatin-associated occlusion of the internal carotid artery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cisplatin is a highly effective antineoplastic agent used also in germ cell cancer. Thromboembolic complications like pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction and stroke have occasionally been reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 46-year-old man with seminoma and without any cerebrovascular risk factors developed an acute stroke with complete right-sided hemiparesis and global aphasia, during the second cycle of cisplatin-based chemotherapy. After exclusion of an intracerebral bleeding, a systemic thrombolysis was performed. Further diagnostics revealed an acute occlusion of the left carotid internal artery with infarction in the territory of the middle cerebral artery. The patient slowly recovered; however, a moderate aphasia and partial hemiparesis persisted whereas the tumor was in complete remission. Months later, the patient developed symptomatic epilepsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ischemic stroke associated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy is rare, but may be disabling or even fatal. With regard to the literature, several precautions are discussed to minimize the risk of these major side effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Technische Universität München, Germany. thorleif.etgen@klinikum-traunstein.de
authors.forename: Thorleif
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Etgen
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Weidenhöfer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubin
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D002341:Carotid Artery Thrombosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002945:Cisplatin