[Sciatic nerve paralysis following intraarterial chemotherapy for bladder cancer: reports of two cases]

Bilateral sciatic nerve paralysis developed in two patients with invasive bladder cancer following intraarterial infusion of cisplatin (CDDP) and 4'-0-tetrahydropyranyladriamycin (THP) as preoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Balloon catheters were selectively inserted into both internal iliac arteries, and CDDP 100 mg/m2 and THP 40 mg/m2 were administered under balloon occlusion. Pain of lower extremities developed soon after infusion and was gradually followed by paralysis. One patient recovered from paralysis partially after 4 months, but the other patient didn't recover. The use of balloon catheters resulted in an excessive concentration of chemotherapeutic agents with the adverse action on the sciatic nerves.