Successful management of refractory pleural effusion due to systemic immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis by vincristine adriamycin dexamethasone chemotherapy: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Refractory pleural effusion in systemic immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis without cardiac decompensation is rarely reported and has a poor prognosis in general (a median survival of 1.6 months). Moreover, the optimum treatment for this condition is still undecided. This is the first report on the successful use of vincristine, adriamycin and dexamethasone chemotherapy for refractory pleural effusion due to systemic immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis without cardiac decompensation.


METHODS
We report the case of a 68-year old Japanese male with systemic immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis presenting with bilateral pleural effusion (more severe on the right side) in the absence of cardiac decompensation that was refractory to diuretic therapy. The patient was admitted for fatigue, exertional dyspnea, and bilateral lower extremity edema. He had been receiving intermittent melphalan and prednisone chemotherapy for seven years. One month before admission, his dyspnea had got worse, and his chest radiograph showed bilateral pleural effusion; the pleural effusion was ascertained to be a transudate. The conventionally used therapeutic measures, including diuretics and thoracocentesis, failed to control pleural effusion. Administration of vincristine, adriamycin, and dexamethasone chemotherapy led to successful resolution of the effusion.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with vincristine, adriamycin, and dexamethasone chemotherapy was effective for the refractory pleural effusion in systemic immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis without cardiac decompensation and appears to be associated with improvement in our patient's prognosis.
Araoka
Toshikazu
T
Division of Nephrology, Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki Hospital, Hyogo, Japan. htakeoka@ares.eonet.ne.jp.
Takeoka
Hiroya
H
Nishioka
Keisuke
K
Ikeda
Masaki
M
Kondo
Makiko
M
Hoshina
Azusa
A
Kishi
Seiji
S
Araki
Makoto
M
Mimura
Rokuro
R
Murakami
Taichi
T
Mima
Akira
A
Nagai
Kojiro
K
Abe
Hideharu
H
Doi
Toshio
T