NEUTROPENIC ENTEROCOLITIS IN A PATIENT WITH COLORECTAL-CARCINOMA - UNUSUAL COURSE AFTER TREATMENT WITH 5-FLUOROURACIL AND LEUCOVORIN - A CASE-REPORT

BACKGROUND. Neutropenic enterocolitis is observed in approximately 25% of patients with acute leukemia, but has been reported rarely in pati ents with solid tumors. If treatment is not initiated promptly, the mo rtality is high. The incidence of this disease is rising in patients w ith hematologic malignancies. Increasing numbers of patients with soli d tumors are subject to high dose chemotherapy regimens or new drugs k nown to cause severe neutropenia. Therefore, the frequency of this dis ease can be expected to increase. METHODS. The authors report a patien t with colorectal carcinoma who developed neutropenic enterocolitis af ter treatment with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin. RESULTS. The patient developed the typical clinical picture of abdominal pain, diarrhea, a nd neutropenia. The course was complicated by a recurrence of symptoms after initially successful antibiotic therapy without the patient rec eiving further chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS. This case indicates that neu tropenic enterocolitis may occur in patients with colorectal carcinoma receiving 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin. (C) 1997 American Cancer Soc iety.