A Fatal Case of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Mediated Myasthenia Gravis, Myositis, and Cardiomyopathy Overlap Syndrome in Urothelial Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have led to improved outcomes for many cancer types. However, their use can also precipitate immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that can affect any organ system. While irAEs are often mild, they rarely affect multiple organ systems concurrently and can be fatal.

CASE: We report a fatal case of myasthenia gravis, myositis, and cardiotoxicity overlap syndrome precipitated by the ICI pembrolizumab along with a brief review of available literature.

CONCLUSION

Early recognition of high grade irAEs and prompt intervention is essential. Despite the poor prognosis of these overlap syndromes, current recommendations offer little guidance for severe cases and warrant a call for increased awareness and expansion of available therapeutics.