title: Gemcitabine-associated "pseudocellulitis" and "pseudosepsis": a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Chemotherapeutic agents have been associated with sepsis and a variety of opportunistic and nonopportunistic infections. This was attributed to their immunosuppressive effects. Like all other chemotherapeutic agents, the use of gemcitabine has been associated with different infectious processes, yet many conditions that mimic infections have also been linked to its use. Pseudosepsis is a condition that should be added to these previously described conditions, such as gemcitabine-induced pseudocellulitis. We describe a patient who suffered from 2 different gemcitabine-induced adverse events including pseudocellulitis that was not related to prior lymphedema or radiation recall phenomenon and pseudosepsis wherein antibiotics have no role in the treatment, and the discontinuation of the offending agent resulted in the resolution of the patient's symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, St John Hospital and Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA. karam.obeid@stjohn.org
authors.forename: Karam M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Obeid
authors.forename: Anilrudh A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Venugopal
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002481:Cellulitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine