Aplastic anemia as a cause of death in a patient with glioblastoma multiforme treated with temozolomide.

BACKGROUND

Standard treatment of glioblastoma multiforme consists of postoperative radiochemotherapy with temozolomide, followed by a 6-month chemotherapy. Serious hematologic complications are rarely reported.

CASE REPORT AND

RESULTS

The authors present the case of a 61-year-old female patient with glioblastoma multiforme treated with external-beam radiation therapy and concomitant temozolomide. After completion of treatment, the patient developed symptoms of serious aplastic anemia that eventually led to death due to prolonged neutro- and thrombocytopenia followed by infectious complications.

CONCLUSION

Lethal complications following temozolomide are, per se, extremely rare, however, a total of four other cases of aplastic anemia have been reported in the literature so far.