Chylous pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade in a child treated with imatinib

Denis J Donovan1, Tamar Siskind1, Maria T Thanjan2

  • 1Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, New York, NY, USA.

Cardiology in the Young
|December 12, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Chylous pericardial effusion, a rare complication, occurred in a child treated with imatinib. This case highlights a potential side effect of imatinib therapy in pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Chylous pericardial effusions are uncommon, typically seen post-thoracic or cardiac surgery.
  • Imatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used in treating certain cancers and other conditions.

Observation:

  • An 8-year-old girl with a history of benign giant cell granulomas developed a significant chylous pericardial effusion.
  • This effusion occurred shortly after initiating imatinib therapy.
  • The patient presented with cardiac tamponade.

Findings:

  • The study reports a rare instance of imatinib-induced chylous pericardial effusion.
  • This adverse event led to cardiac tamponade in a pediatric patient.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the importance of monitoring for rare cardiovascular side effects during imatinib treatment in children.
  • Further research may be needed to elucidate the mechanism of imatinib-induced effusions.
  • Clinicians should consider imatinib as a potential cause of chylous pericardial effusion in pediatric patients with relevant medical histories.

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