Recurrent Peripheral Arterial Thrombosis Induced by Cisplatin and Etoposide

A 64-year-old woman receiving intravenous chemotherapy for stage IIIB non-small cell lung cancer experienced acute arterial thrombosis of the distal radial and entire ulnar arteries with subsequent arterial occlusion of the right popliteal artery. Two separate arterial occlusions occurred after administration of cisplatin and etoposide chemotherapy; the second occlusion occurred after rechallenge with the second cycle of chemotherapy. Although venous thrombosis is more common in patients with cancer than in the general population, chemotherapy-induced arterial thrombosis rarely has been reported. To our knowledge, peripheral arterial occlusion after the first and second cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy has not been reported in the literature.