Metastatic choriocarcinoma with tumour lysis syndrome

Abstract

We report on a 32-year-old woman, gravida 5, para 2 who presented with a rapidly growing process of a choriocarcinoma after spontaneous birth. Two weeks after delivery, the patient suffered from dyspnoe, tachycardia and two large ovarian cysts. Diagnostic showed a metastasis choriocarcinoma in the lung. After the first application of chemotherapy according to the EMACO protocol the patient degraded quickly. She had a respiratory distress syndrome and an endotracheal intubation was necessary. We suspected a massive tumour cell lysis with haemorrhage after chemotherapy. Tumourlysis syndrome in choriocarcinoma is a rare complication as it is in solid tumours. Treatment in the intensive care unit allowed continuation of chemotherapy with EMACO. The general health state of the patient improves slowly and ß-HCG falled. After 78 days of hospitalization the patient was able to be discharged from hospital.