Lenalidomide-Induced Myocarditis, Rare But Possibly Fatal Toxicity of a Commonly Used Immunotherapy

Robin Jacob, MD; Paolo Strati, MD; Nicolas Palaskas, MD; Juan C. Lopez-Mattei, MD; Konstantinos Marmagkiolis, MD; L. Maximilian Buja, MD; Anita Deswal, MD; Cezar Iliescu, MD

JACC: Case Reports (Nov 2020)

Lenalidomide-Induced Myocarditis, Rare But Possibly Fatal Toxicity of a Commonly Used Immunotherapy

Robin Jacob, MD,
Paolo Strati, MD,
Nicolas Palaskas, MD,
Juan C. Lopez-Mattei, MD,
Konstantinos Marmagkiolis, MD,
L. Maximilian Buja, MD,
Anita Deswal, MD,
Cezar Iliescu, MD

Affiliations

Robin Jacob, MD: Department of Cardiology, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
Paolo Strati, MD: Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Nicolas Palaskas, MD: Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Juan C. Lopez-Mattei, MD: Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Konstantinos Marmagkiolis, MD: Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
L. Maximilian Buja, MD: Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Anita Deswal, MD: Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Cezar Iliescu, MD: Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; Address for correspondence: Dr. Cezar Iliescu, Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Pressler Street, Unit 1451, Houston, Texas 77030.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 2, no. 13
pp. 2095 – 2100

Abstract

Read online

A 66-year-old woman with follicular lymphoma on lenalidomide and rituximab presented with chest pain. High-sensitivity troponin T peaked at 7,566 ng/l. Cardiac biopsy revealed extensive inflammation consistent with medication-induced myocarditis. Lenalidomide was stopped with improvement in troponins and patient was initiated on high-dose corticosteroid therapy. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.)

Published in JACC: Case Reports

ISSN: 2666-0849 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Specialties of internal medicine: Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/jacc-case-reports

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords