title: Incidence of bowel wall oedema on computed tomography exams and association with diarrhoea in renal cell carcinoma patients treated with sunitinib.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to retrospectively assess the incidence of bowel wall oedema on computed tomography (CT) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) treated with sunitinib, and to investigate its association with diarrhoea.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective analysis of all RCC patients treated with sunitinib at our hospital between December 2005 and December 2011. The presence or absence of bowel wall oedema on these CT examinations was scored. The presence of diarrhoea preceding, during, or after sunitinib treatment was identified from the patient files and retrospectively graded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For 54 of 87 patients, bowel wall oedema was present on at least one CT examination. Of these 54 patients, the right-sided colonic segment was affected in 87%. Diarrhoea was the most common reported adverse event during treatment, with 58 patients (67%) having grade 1/2 diarrhoea and 9 patients (10%) having grade 3. There was a statistically significant correlation between the incidence of CT-scored bowel oedema and diarrhoea during sunitinib treatment (P = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows a very high incidence of bowel wall oedema and a strong correlation between the incidence of bowel wall oedema and diarrhoea in patients treated with sunitinib.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • Sunitinib is routinely used in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. • Diarrhoea is the most common reported adverse event during sunitinib treatment. • Incidence of bowel oedema and diarrhoea during sunitinib treatment is correlated. • Radiologists should avoid misinterpretation of bowel oedema as infectious colitis.
authors.affiliation: Radiology, Department of Imaging & Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium, liesbeth.cornelissen@uzleuven.be.
authors.forename: Liesbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cornelissen
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Claus
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wolter
authors.forename: Herlinde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dumez
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Keyzer
authors.forename: Evelyne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lerut
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Poppel
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beuselinck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007211:Indoles / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007422:Intestines / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077210:Sunitinib
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007211:Indoles; D011758:Pyrroles; D000077210:Sunitinib