Brain Neurorehabil.  2013 Sep;6(2):82-85. 10.12786/bn.2013.6.2.82.

A Case of Pathologic Nystagmus following Chemotherapy Using Carboplatin for Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Case Report

• Kim JY
• Park JH
• Lee JH
• Kim HS

• KMID: 1797951
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12786/bn.2013.6.2.82

Abstract

A quadriparetic 62-year-old male patient completely cured from small cell lung cancer was admitted to the hospital. The patient complained of dizziness and spontaneous horizontal nystagmus was present in both eyes. He was tolerable during the cancer treatment, but 4 months later he became bed ridden status and totally dependent on all of the daily living activities. Brain metastasis of primary cancer and paraneoplastic syndrome were suspected first, however the brain MRI and paraneoplastic antibody study revealed negative result. With reviewing his medical history, he took chemotherapy including carboplatin. We suspected the ototoxicity induced by carboplatin, as carboplatin has a unique side effect including ototoxicity affecting the balance function while preserving the hearing function. Clinicians should keep in mind this adverse effect in any patient with chemotherapy including carboplatin and who subsequently develops nystagmus and functional level impairment. In such, we present this case with the related literatures.

Keyword

carboplatin; ototoxicity; pathologic nystagmus

MeSH Terms

Activities of Daily Living
Brain
Carboplatin
Dizziness
Eye
Hearing
Humans
Lung
Male
Middle Aged
Neoplasm Metastasis
Nystagmus, Pathologic
Paraneoplastic Syndromes
Small Cell Lung Carcinoma
Carboplatin

Figure

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  Fig. 1 There were no abnormal findings such as acute infarction or cortical atrophy, but communicating hydrocephalus was suspected in diffusion weighted brain MRI.

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