Bleeding and thrombosis in the cancer patient

[A man in his sixties with myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis and haemorrhage]

A man in his sixties had acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (treated with PCI [percutaneous coronary intervention] and antithrombotic medication) complicated by recurrent stent thrombosis. Excessive haematuria and discovery of a urinary bladder cancer complicated the antithrombotic treatment. Due to recurrent stent thrombosis the patient underwent a total of four PCIs and received the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa-inhibitor abciximab on two occasions. After the last administration of abciximab he developed excessive bleeding within an hour; a blood sample revealed severe thrombocytopenia (2 x 10(9)/l). Severe thrombocytopenia is a rare, but well-known complication to glycoprotein IIb/IIIa-inhibitor treatment and is most often seen after readministration of abciximab. The problem of recurrent coronary stent thrombosis was solved by aorto-coronary bypass surgery, which should always be considered in patients with recurrent stent thrombosis and complications to anti-thrombotic treatment. When bleeding occurs in connection with abciximab treatment, especially within the first month after previous treatment, severe thrombocytopenia should always be considered as a possible cause. Abciximab should be avoided in patients with a history of severe abciximab-related thrombocytopenia.