Acute ischaemic stroke following cisplatin-based chemotherapy for testicular cancer

Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent for many cancer types. Its toxicity profile includes drug-induced vascular damage. Clinicians should be aware of its varied presentation, including acute and chronic vascular events involving the arterial and venous system. This is a case of an otherwise well 32-year-old man with testicular cancer who received bleomycin/etoposide/cisplatin, and presented following two cycles of chemotherapy with homonymous hemianopia secondary to acute stroke. Acute arterial complications are rare, but clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for such events, even in a patient who otherwise has no vascular risk factors. Primary and secondary prevention measures including lifestyle modifications (smoking cessation, diet and exercise), blood pressure and cholesterol management, and antiplatelet therapy should be considered in patients exposed to cisplatin, during and following their treatment.

Keywords: chemotherapy; stroke; urological cancer.