Case report
Vocal cord palsy after vincristine treatment in a child and the inefficacy of glutamic acid in the prevention of relapse: a case report
1 Oncology Department, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Unit, A.R.N.A.S. Ospedali Civico, Di Cristina e Benfratelli, Piazza N. Leotta 4, Palermo, 90127, Italy
2 Clinic Department, Pharmaceutical Laboratory, A.R.N.A.S. Ospedali Civico, Di Cristina e Benfratelli, Piazza N. Leotta 4, Palermo, 90127, Italy
Journal of Medical Case Reports 2012, 6:128 doi:10.1186/1752-1947-6-128
Published: 14 May 2012Abstract
Introduction
Vincristine is an antineoplastic drug with a well known efficacy for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and many solid tumors. No more than 20 pediatric patients with vincristine-induced vocal cord palsy have been reported, and to the best of our knowledge this is the first case where glutamic acid was administered with the aim of preventing a relapse of laryngeal dysfunction.
Case presentation
The larynx paralysis presented with hoarseness and stridor in a Caucasian 18-month-old girl and spontaneously resolved in about a month. In order to administer a subsequent full dose of vincristine, our patient received oral glutamic acid whose efficacy against vincristine neurological side effects has been previously reported.
Conclusions
Since in our patient the amino acid proved to be ineffective in the prevention of laryngeal paralysis relapse, we suggest that a dose reduction of vincristine should be preferred by oncologists as an initial approach after a case of drug-induced vocal cord palsy.
