Non-Cirrhotic Portal Hypertension in a Patient With Colonic Carcinoma Treated With Oxaliplatin

Abstract

Oxaliplatin is a chemotherapeutic agent with direct toxic action on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is known to cause an arrest in its synthesis and inducing cell death. It is a crucial medication for colorectal carcinoma, and in combination with other medications has demonstrated to exhibit synergism, managing to increase patients survival, especially when compared to monotherapy with 5-fluoracil. Neurotoxicity is its most well-known adverse effect. However, other less frequent secondary effects have been described in case reports, among them liver injury, which is usually secondary to liver sinusoid injury. Despite the wide frequency of the use of this drug, the relationship of oxaliplatin with the development of portal non-cirrhotic hypertension is largely unknown, which translates into a sub-diagnosis, representing an additional risk to patients who develop this complication. We present the case of an adult patient, who during treatment with the FOLFOX scheme for colorectal carcinoma, presents signs suggestive of portal hypertension, without other risk factors besides the administration of oxaliplatin.

J Med Cases. 2021;12(3):99-101
doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3630