Allergy Asthma Respir Dis.  2014 Nov;2(5):394-397. 10.4168/aard.2014.2.5.394.

Successful desensitization for cytarabine induced anaphylaxis

• Lee HW
• Park JY
• Moon JH
• Park KT
• Park HK
• Kang HR

• KMID: 1803550
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aard.2014.2.5.394

Abstract

Cytarabine is a very important chemotherapeutic agent for leukemia and lymphoma patients and is prescribed more frequently than before. Cytarabine-induced delayed-onset hypersensitivity may rarely present as non-IgE mediated anaphylaxis. However, we do not know yet whether desensitization therapy in adults may be effective in cytarabine-induced delayed-onset anaphylaxis. A 78-year-old woman who was diagnosed with acute myeloblastic leukemia had chemotherapy including cytarabine. In spite of premedication with hydrocortisone and chlorpheniramine, the patient had anaphylaxis a few hours after cytarabine infusion. We decided to perform desensitization therapy. After desensitization therapy using a newly designed protocol, the patient was tolerable to cytarabine infusion without hypotension or high fever. Desensitization therapy was successfully performed on an adult patient with delayed-onset anaphylaxis caused by cytarabine.

Keyword

Anaphylaxis; Cytarabine; Immunologic desensitization

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Anaphylaxis*
Chlorpheniramine
Cytarabine*
Desensitization, Immunologic
Drug Therapy
Female
Fever
Humans
Hydrocortisone
Hypersensitivity
Hypotension
Leukemia
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute
Lymphoma
Premedication
Chlorpheniramine
Cytarabine
Hydrocortisone