Treatment with Corticosteroid for Pericardial Effusion in a Patient with Advanced Synchronous Esophageal and Gastric Cancers following Chemoradiotherapy

• Main Authors: Satoshi Osawa, Takanori Yamada, Takeji Saitoh, Takashi Kosugi, Tomohiro Terai, Yasuhiro Takayanagi, Yasushi Hamaya, Ken Sugimoto, Mutsuhiro Ikuma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Karger Publishers 2010-07-01
• Series: Case Reports in Gastroenterology
• Subjects: Pericardial effusion; Chemoradiotherapy; Radiation-induced pericarditis; Esophageal cancer; Late toxicity
• Online Access: http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/318751

Severe late toxicity following chemoradiotherapy in esophageal cancer, especially cardiac toxicity, is sometimes difficult to treat and is associated with mortality. However there is little published information with regard to patients with delayed pericardial effusion following chemoradiotherapy and its management. We herein report the case of a 63-year-old man with advanced synchronous esophageal and gastric cancers. This patient presented with pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade after definitive chemoradiotherapy and was successfully treated with corticosteroid after pericardiocentesis. No instances of pericardial and pleural effusions were observed during the 2-year follow-up period until his death from cancer relapses.