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Unexpected outcome (positive or negative) including adverse drug reactions
CASE REPORT
Mitotane-induced dyspnoea: an unusual side effect
  1. Ali U Farooq1,
  2. Waseem Amjad2,
  3. Tanureet Kochar3,
  4. Subash Adhikari3
  1. 1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Charleston Area Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
  2. 2Department of Digestive Diseases, Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  3. 3Department of Internal Medicine, Charleston Area Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Waseem Amjad, waseemonline001{at}gmail.com

Summary

Mitotane is a cytostatic antineoplastic agent that is used in the treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma and Cushing’s syndrome. The commonly reported side effects associated with mitotane are anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, decreased memory, rash, gynaecomastia, arthralgias and leucopenia. We present a case of a 68-year-old female who developed gradual dyspnoea concurrent with the use of mitotane for the treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma. To the best of our knowledge and literate review, this is the first reported case of dyspnoea associated with the use of this medication. The purpose of this case report is to raise awareness about this uncommon adverse effect of mitotane that may have gone unrecognised on postmarketing surveillance because of under-reporting, lack of case follow-up or other comorbidities masking shortness of breath.

  • unwanted effects / adverse reactions
  • drugs: respiratory system
  • adrenal disorders

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2018-225490

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors AUF: designed the study, drafted the manuscript, revised the manuscript and did literature review, obtained the consent. TK: contributed to case presentation. WA: performed the literature review. SA: reviewed the manuscript.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent Obtained.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.