title: Pericardial effusion and tamponade following interferon alpha treatment for locally advanced melanoma.
abstract: Regional Metastatic Melanoma has a relatively high mortality rate. Adjuvant interferon-alpha (IFN-α) has been shown to improve disease-free survival, post-resection. Cardiotoxicity associated with IFN-α use has been described previously in the literature, but here we describe the first case of pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade secondary to IFN-α 2b treatment of melanoma. Clinicians should be aware of this potentially lethal complication and the possible acuity of its onset.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5G 1V7, Canada.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rauw
authors.forename: Shaheeda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Petrella
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011379:Prognosis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins