Carboplatin-induced Kounis syndrome

SummaryA 50-year-old man in chemotherapy for an advanced lung adenocarcinoma presented with chest pain and cutaneous rash during carboplatin infusion with electrocardiographic (ECG) evidence of an inferior lesion wave. The administration of steroids and nitrates promptly resulted in clinical and ECG normalization, without enzymatic dismission. This reaction was considered compatible with allergic coronary vasospasm (also known as Kounis syndrome), a rare but possible complication of chemotherapy. In these cases prompt diagnosis and a correct approach can avoid useless invasive interventions.