Cyclophosphamide-induced symptomatic hyponatraemia

Abstract

Cyclophosphamide is an alkylating agent used in antineoplastic and immunosuppressive therapies. Symptomatic hyponatraemia is a rare but life-threatening complication in patients treated with cyclophosphamide. We report the case of a 64-year-old woman with breast cancer who developed severe symptomatic hyponatraemia with a generalised seizure and convulsions after a second cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide. She completely recovered after correction of the serum sodium concentration without neurological deficits. Physicians prescribing cyclophosphamide, irrespective of the treatment indication and dosage, should be aware of this potentially life-threatening complication.