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Updated: Jun 15, 2026
04:48
Chemotherapy-induced Vascular Toxicity - Real-time In vivo Imaging of Vessel Impairment
Published on: January 7, 2015
[Cerebral vasculitis associated with gemcitabine]
P Schmorl1, A Heer-Sonderhoff, R Vosshenrich
1Urologische Klinik, Diakoniekrankenhaus Friederikenstift gGmbH, Hannover. philipp.schmorl@friederikenstift.de
Der Urologe. Ausg. A
|March 10, 2010
Summary
Gemcitabine chemotherapy for bladder cancer can cause serious neurological side effects. A patient developed cerebral vasculitis and cognitive deficits after receiving the drug, highlighting a rare but severe adverse reaction.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a standard treatment for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.
- Cisplatin and gemcitabine are commonly used chemotherapeutic agents.
Observation:
- A 50-year-old woman received neoadjuvant cisplatin and gemcitabine for bladder cancer.
- Following the second cycle, she experienced a generalized tonic-clonic seizure and cognitive deficit.
- Brain MRI revealed findings consistent with cerebral vasculitis.
Findings:
- The temporal association suggests gemcitabine caused the cerebral vasculitis.
- This is the first reported case of gemcitabine-induced cerebral vasculitis.
Implications:
- Gemcitabine may be associated with rare but severe neurological adverse events.
- Clinicians should be vigilant for neurological symptoms in patients receiving gemcitabine.
- Further research is needed to understand the mechanism of gemcitabine-induced vasculitis.
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