levoleucovorin and Hyperpigmentation

Intoxication by pyrimethamine is rare compare to these of patients who ingest a massive dose of amino-4-quinoleine. Clinic manifestations can be delayed and they are specially based on haematologic disorder as shown by literature data. Others organs can be concerned. The authors would like to present the case of a patient with a severe pancytopenia accompanied with: ocular blow like hyperhaemia of conjunctiva then iris siderosis. skin attack as Gũnther's disease. Etiologic treatment by folinic acid is the only deduction. Recovery is complete.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Antidotes; Antimalarials; Conjunctival Diseases; Folic Acid Antagonists; Humans; Hyperemia; Hyperpigmentation; Iris Diseases; Leucovorin; Male; Pancytopenia; Porphyria, Erythropoietic; Pyrimethamine; Siderosis

From October 1995 to June 1997, 19 chemotherapy-naive patients with pathology-proven locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract carcinomas (BTC) were enrolled. The regimen consisted of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 2600 mg/m2 and leucovorin (LV) 150 mg by weekly 24 h infusion for 6 weeks and followed by a 2 week break. The treatment was terminated if disease progressed, the patient refused or unacceptable toxicity occurred. All patients required a Port-A catheter insertion and were treated at outpatient clinics by portable infusion pumps. There were 12 males and seven females with a median age of 62 years (range 45-77). The primary tumor sites were nine intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (CC), three perihilar CC, one distal BTC and six gallbladder cancers. A total of 179 chemotherapy sessions were given with a mean of 9.5 (range 2-18). Eighteen patients were evaluable for response. The response rates were: 33% (six of 18) partial response (PR), 39% (seven of 18) stable disease (SD) and 28% (five of 18) progressive disease (PD). All of the patients were evaluable for toxicity. The most common toxicities were mild fatigue (nine of 19, 47%), loss of appetite (nine of 19, 47%), skin hyperpigmentation (five of 19, 26%) and diarrhea (two of 19, 11%). Only one patient had grade IV myelotoxicity with sepsis but without treatment-related death. The median time to progression was 4 months. The overall median survival time was 7.0 months. The median survival time of the PR was not reached, SD was 8.0 months and PD 3.5 months. In conclusion, weekly high-dose 5-FU with LV by 24 h infusion in an outpatient setting for patients with BTC is effective, only mildly toxic and deserves further study.

Topics: Aged; Anorexia; Antidotes; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; Biliary Tract Neoplasms; Bone Marrow; Diarrhea; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Combinations; Fatigue; Female; Fluorouracil; Humans; Hyperpigmentation; Infusion Pumps; Leucovorin; Male; Middle Aged; Skin; Treatment Outcome; Vomiting

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adult; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Bevacizumab; Colonic Neoplasms; Cyclophosphamide; Doxorubicin; Fluorouracil; Humans; Hyperpigmentation; Leucovorin; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse; Male; Middle Aged; Organoplatinum Compounds; Prednisone; Rituximab; Vincristine