Melphalan-induced cardiotoxicity: ventricular arrhythmias

Description

A 61-year-old man, with multiple myeloma (IgA lambda), was planned for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). He also suffered a left thalamic haemorrhagic stroke in 1998 secondary to aneurysmal bleed. Following melphalan infusion of 200 mg at 45 mL/min, he developed acute onset rhythm abnormalities (intermittent ventricular ectopic and ventricular tachycardia). The patient's premelphalan evaluation was unremarkable with normal ECG (1A), ejection fraction (55%) and renal/hepatic function. He was evaluated by sequential 2D echocardiography and troponin I (immediately, 2, 4, 12 and 24 hours) which were normal excluding acute STEMI. These rhythm abnormalities were dynamic probably secondary to the plasma melphalan concentrations and normalised by 18 h postinfusion (figure 1B–F). There has been no recurrence of these rhythm abnormalities thereafter. He was transplanted with abbreviated melphalan conditioning.

Figure 1

(A) Normal ECG before starting melphalan infusion. (B) ECG after 200 mg of melphalan infusion, showing acute onset ventricular rhythm...

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