Renal vascular lesions after chemotherapy with vinblastine, bleomycin, and cisplatin

A 30 year old man with metastatic embryonal carcinoma became hypertensive during vinblastine, bleomycin, and cisplatin therapy. Three months after completion of therapy, accelerated hypertension occurred (blood pressure 210/140 mm Hg). Nitroprusside failed to control the hypertension, but captopril resulted in a prompt and sustained normalization of the blood pressure. The plasma renin activity was markedly elevated before therapy. Renal biopsy disclosed "onionskin" narrowing of the interlobular arteries and fibrin thrombosis of a majority of the afferent arterioles. A form of drug-induced renovascular hypertension is suggested.