Case Report
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World J Gastroenterol. Jan 14, 2011; 17(2): 267-270
Published online Jan 14, 2011. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i2.267
Splenic infarction associated with sorafenib use in a hepatocellular carcinoma patient
Sang Ock Kim, Sang Young Han, Yang Hyun Baek, Sung Wook Lee, Ji Sun Han, Byung Geun Kim, Jin Han Cho, Kyung Jin Nam
Sang Ock Kim, Sang Young Han, Yang Hyun Baek, Sung Wook Lee, Ji Sun Han, Byung Geun Kim, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Dong-A University Hospital, Dongdaesin-dong, Seo-gu, Busan 602-103, South Korea
Sang Young Han, Liver Center, Dong-A University College of Medicine, 3-ga, Dongdaesing-dong, Seo-gu, Busan 602-103, South Korea
Jin Han Cho, Kyung Jin Nam, Department of Radiology, Dong-A University Hospital, Dongdaesin-dong, Seo-gu, Busan 602-103, South Korea
Author contributions: Kim SO and Han SY contributed equally to this work; Kim SO, Han SY, Baek YH and Lee SW contributed to drafting the report; Cho JH and Nam KJ interpreted CT images; Kim SO, Han SY and Han JS wrote and revised the paper; all authors contributed to analyzing the patient’s data.
Supported by Dong-A University fund
Correspondence to: Sang Young Han, MD, PhD, Professor, Liver Center, Dong-A University College of Medicine, 3-ga, Dongdaesing-dong, Seo-gu, Busan 602-103, South Korea. syhan@dau.ac.kr
Telephone: +82-51-2402861 Fax: +82-51-2402087
Received: August 15, 2010
Revised: September 26, 2010
Accepted: October 3, 2010
Published online: January 14, 2011
Abstract

Sorafenib, a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been shown to improve survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As the clinical use of sorafenib increases, many adverse effects have been reported, such as hand-foot skin reaction, diarrhea, anorexia, asthenia, alopecia, weight loss, hypertension and arterial thromboembolism. However, there are no prior reports of splenic infarction as an adverse effect of sorafenib. Here, a case of splenic infarction in a patient with HCC who was treated with sorafenib is reported. The patient had no other predisposing factors to explain the splenic infarction except for the administration of sorafenib. The splenic infarction improved after sorafenib was discontinued; however, the HCC progressed.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma, Sorafenib, Tyrosine kinase inhibitor, Adverse effects, Splenic infarction