The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion associated with induction chemotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

SIADH Induced by Pharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Case Report and Literature Review

Background. The Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone (SIADH) is considered to be the most common cause of euvolemic hyponatremia. The most common malignancy associated with SIADH is small cell lung cancer. We present a rare case of a patient with SIADH secondary to well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the naso-oropharynx. Case. A 46-year-old Caucasian woman presented to emergency department with four-week history of progressive dysphagia. On examination, she was found to have a pharyngeal mass. CT scan and MRI of neck confirmed a mass highly suspicious of carcinoma. Patient's serum sodium level decreased to 118 mEq/L and other labs including serum and urine osmolality confirmed SIADH. She was started on fluid restriction and oral sodium tablets which gradually improved her serum sodium levels. Biopsy confirmed diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of pharynx. Conclusion. SIADH can be caused by squamous cell carcinoma. Appropriate management includes fluid restriction.

Paraneoplastic syndromes in patients with oral cancer

The diagnosis of a paraneoplastic syndrome (PNS) may precede, follow or be concurrent with the diagnosis of a malignant tumor. There is increasing knowledge of association between PNS and head and neck cancers, but the relationship between oral cancer and paraneoplastic disease has not been previously investigated. PNS associated with head and neck cancer can be divided into six main groups: endocrine, cutaneous or dermatologic, hematologic, osteoarticular or rheumatologic, neurologic, and ocular syndromes. We have comprehensively reviewed the literature to evaluate the incidence of occurrence of PNS with oral cancer, and conclude that only endocrine and dermatologic PNS have been associated with oral cancer. Humoral hypercalcemia is the most frequent PNS related to oral cancer, and has a negative prognostic significance. Dermatologic PNS are less common, but when they occur, they may precede the diagnosis of the oral tumor. Awareness of these conditions is important for clinicians who deal with cancer.

Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion associated with acute myeloid leukemia with multilineage dysplasia

A patient having acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with multilineage dysplasia, developed hyponatremia and showed all symptoms of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) through a mechanism similar to tumor lysis. Retrospective immunohistochemical analysis of blast cells was positive for antidiuretic hormone (ADH) protein. According to us, this is the first case report of SIADH in an AML patient with multilineage dysplasia, showing blast cells immunostained for ADH, which clearly demonstrated that the tumor cells produced ADH.

Paraneoplastic syndromes in patients with nasopharyngeal cancer

Paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS) represent the clinical manifestation of the remote and indirect effects produced by tumor metabolites or other products. Paraneoplastic effects are not directly mediated by tumor invasion of normal tissue, or by the disruption of normal function of the involved organ, or by distant metastases. More than 260 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) associated with PNS have been reported in the literature. These syndromes can be divided into six main groups: cutaneous or dermatologic, endocrine, hematologic, osteoarticular or rheumatologic, neurologic, and ocular. The most common dermatologic manifestation is dermatomyositis, while the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone and occasionally Cushing's syndrome due to ectopic ACTH production are the endocrinologic manifestations. Tumor fever and leukemoid reaction, osteoarticular or rheumatic syndromes, including clubbing of the fingers and toes, sensory neuropathy and demyelinating motor polyneuropathy, and rarely optic neuritis represent the most prominent examples of the other groups of syndromes. PNS may occur before the NPC is manifest, or while it is in an occult stage, and thus the possibility of NPC should be considered in patients with these various disorders. While some PNS will respond to direct treatment, most often the PNS subsides in parallel to response of the NPC, and thus may be useful for monitoring tumor response or recurrence.

The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion associated with chemotherapy for hypopharyngeal cancer

The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is characterized by hyponatremia and the plasma hypoosmolality induced by water retention attributable to persistent antidiuretic hormone (ADH) release. It has been reported that SIADH may occur due to various factors in patients with malignant tumor. We report a case of hypopharyngeal cancer complicated by SIADH following chemotherapy. A 72-year-old woman with hypopharyngeal cancer was treated by oral administration of S-1 and intravenous administration of low-dose cisplatin following radiation therapy. General fatigue and coma occurred during the third course of this chemotherapy, using S-1 and low-dose cisplatin. We believed that she had SIADH because of the results of examinations including hyponatremia, serum hypoosmolality and increasing serum ADH level. We treated her by fluid restriction and intravenous administration of hypertonic saline and furosemide, and she recovered. Unfortunately, her hypopharyngeal cancer gradually progressed and she died of acute pneumonia three months later.

Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma

The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is associated with various conditions including malignant disease, particularly small cell lung cancer. It has been reported to occur in 3% of patients with head and neck cancer. Less well known is its association with oral squamous cell carcinoma. This report describes a patient with SIADH associated with recurrent oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Immunohistochemical analysis of small cell carcinoma of the head and neck: a report of four patients and a review of sixteen patients in the literature with ectopic hormone production

Small cell carcinoma (SCC) occurs mostly in the lung, and in some patients is accompanied by production of ectopic hormones. Small cell carcinoma of the head and neck is very rare. We report 4 patients with SCC of the head and neck (larynx, tonsil, maxillary sinus, and parotid gland). The patient with SCC of the maxillary sinus demonstrated a high level of plasma serotonin and overexpression of parathyroid hormone; however, he did not show any related symptoms. The patient with SCC of the tonsil showed the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone associated with antidiuretic hormone hyperproduction at the terminal stage. In the literature, 16 patients with SCC of the head and neck with ectopic hormone production have been reported. Antidiuretic hormone and adrenocorticotropic hormone were the hormones that caused clinical symptoms (paraneoplastic syndromes). We believe that the evaluation of hormonal syndromes is valuable for diagnosis and treatment.

Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone associated with chemotherapy-induced tumour lysis in small-cell lung cancer: case report and literature review

A patient with a small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) developed an asymptomatic hyponatremia, with all features of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH), two days after the start of his first cycle of chemotherapy with vindesine, ifosfamide and cisplatin. Progression of the tumour with an increase in paraneoplastic SIADH, or drug-induced causes of hyponatremia, could be ruled out by his further clinical course. The event was interpreted as a consequence of ADH release during the initial tumour cell lysis after effective chemotherapy. The occurrence of hyponatremia during the initial phase of chemotherapy for SCLC should be interpreted with caution. Although it is most commonly due to an increase in paraneoplastic ADH secretion reflecting ineffective therapy, it can also be due to release of ADH from malignant cells in the period of rapid tumour lysis, reflecting effective therapy. Based on this rare occurrence, a review of the aetiology, clinical findings, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of SIADH in general is presented.

Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion associated with head neck cancers: review of the literature

In a minority of patients with malignant tumors, signs and symptoms develop that cannot be explained on the basis of the mass effect produced by the primary tumor or its metastases, or production of a hormone normally associated with the tissue type that has given rise to the malignant tumor; these peculiar symptom complexes are known as paraneoplastic syndromes, and may be divided into endocrinologic, dermatologic, hematologic, neurologic, and osteoarticular manifestations. In the head and neck region in particular, the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone production (SIADH, or Schwartz-Bartter syndrome) is a well-recognized form of paraneoplastic syndrome that may accompany head and neck malignancies. Most of such tumors are squamous carcinomas, with lesser numbers of olfactory neuroblastomas, small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas, adenoid cystic carcinomas, and undifferentiated carcinomas; sarcoma was reported in only a single instance. The lesions associated with the development of SIADH have most often been located in the oral cavity, and less often in the larynx, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, nasal cavity, maxillary sinus, parapharyngeal space, salivary glands, and oropharynx. Key features of SIADH include serum hypo-osmolality; an unexpectedly high urinary specific gravity; an absence of edema or dehydration; normal adrenal, thyroid, and renal function; hyponatremia; and an elevation of plasma vasopressin.

Drug-induced syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion. Causes, diagnosis and management

Hyponatraemia is common among the elderly, and may be caused by physiological changes, disease processes or drugs. About half of elderly patients with hyponatraemia have features typical of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). It is important to establish whether drugs are the cause, as this is easily remediable. The clinical manifestations of SIADH are predominantly attributable to hyponatraemia and serum hypo-osmolality. The severity of the signs and symptoms depends on the degree of hyponatraemia and the rapidity with which the syndrome develops. Although a growing number of drugs have been reported to produce SIADH, most published reports concern vasopressin and its analogues, thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics, chlorpropamide, carbamazepine, antipsychotics, antidepressants and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Old age is a risk factor for SIADH following the use of many of these drugs. The use of these drugs in combination, excessive fluid intake and other underlying conditions that limit free water excretion increase the risk. Drug-induced SIADH usually resolves following cessation of the offending agent(s). Additional measures are required in patients with symptomatic hyponatraemia, including fluid restriction and intravenous sodium chloride and/or furosemide (frusemide) therapy. Careful monitoring is essential, with particular attention paid to the rate and extent of correction of the hyponatraemia.

Elevated arginine vasopressin levels in squamous cell cancer of the head and neck

The reported effectiveness of single tumor markers (TMs) associated with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck ranges from 15% to 71%, with most studies reporting sensitivity no higher than 50%. An increased incidence of the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone or arginine vasopressin (SIADH) in patients with head and neck cancer has been reported. Serum arginine vasopressin (AVP) was studied as a possible TM in these patients. Sixty-three patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck determined as potentially curable were prospectively evaluated before treatment and compared to 17 patients with apparent cure of head and neck squamous cell cancer who served as controls. Serum AVP levels were obtained and determined by radioimmunoassay in the preoperative period and 1 week postoperatively in 15 patients. Thirty-four patients were staged as T4, 26 as T3, and 3 as T2. Twenty-one (33%) of the 63 patients had no neck involvement. Twenty-four (38%) of 63 patients had elevated serum AVP levels corrected for serum osmolarity. Of the 15 patients evaluated before and after surgery, 8 (53%) had elevated serum AVP levels preoperatively. Of these 8 patients, 3 had reduction in AVP levels and 5 had complete normalization after 1 week. The result obtained for serum AVP do not exceed results of other TMs reported. AVP may also not be as specific as other TMs for cancer of the head and neck. Our group with AVP sampled postoperatively is too small for us to draw conclusions, but reduction of its levels after treatment in all patients may be significant. These preliminary results indicate that further evaluation of AVP during the posttreatment course in a larger number of cases, and perhaps with other TMs as well, is warranted.

Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion in papillary serous surface carcinoma of the peritoneum

A case of syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) in a patient with suboptimally cytoreduced stage III papillary serous surface carcinoma of the peritoneum is described. After the primary surgery, the patient refused further therapy. Within a month bilateral pleural effusions and abdominal ascites compelled the patient to accept treatment with carboplatin and cyclophosphamide. Ten days following the chemotherapy, she was admitted in a disoriented state with serum sodium of 117-mEq/L. During the evaluation, treatment, and subsequent follow-up, the diagnosis of SIADH was confirmed. Numerous disease processes have been associated with the development of SIADH; however, there have been few reports in gynecologic malignancies. Possible etiology and clinical management of this patient are briefly discussed.

Syndrome of inappropriate secretion of arginine vasopressin in patients with cancer of the head and neck

The syndrome of inappropriate secretion of arginine vasopressin (AVP) known as the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) is associated with a variety of malignant and nonmalignant diseases. Only 17 cases of SIADH have been reported in the literature in association with cancer isolated to the head and neck. A retrospective review of 1,436 patients with head and neck malignancy excluding skin cancer through The University of Iowa Tumor Registry revealed 60 patients with the diagnosis of either SIADH or hyposmolality. A chart review for each of these patients was then done to establish the diagnosis of SIADH through relevant laboratory values and by excluding other causes of hyposmolality and hyponatremia. In 43 of these patients (3%), SIADH was found to be associated only with the cancer of the head and neck. We conclude that the incidence of SIADH in patients with cancer of the head and neck is much higher than previously recognized. As elevated serum AVP levels may not be clinically apparent unless associated with excessive water ingestation, it is possible that an even higher percentage of patients may have increased serum AVP levels.

Syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone in a patient with carcinoma of the nasopharynx

A patient with a primary undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasopharynx manifested the clinical syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). Immunohistochemical techniques demonstrated the presence of vasopressin, neurophysin, and their precursor (propressophysin) in the cancer cells. In situ hybridization additionally confirmed the expression of propressophysin messenger RNA in these cells. To the knowledge of the authors, this represents not only the first case of SIADH caused by carcinoma of the nasopharynx, but also the first report of pathologic confirmation of the syndrome with the use of both molecular and immunologic probes.

Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion in cancer of the head and neck

The syndrome of inappropriate secretion of arginine vasopressin (AVP) known as the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is characterized by hyponatremia that results from water retention attributable to persistent AVP release. It may occur in a variety of malignant and nonmalignant lesions, with small cell or oat cell carcinoma of the lung by far responsible for the largest number of these cases. Cancer of the head and neck may be a rare cause of SIADH, and only a few such cases have been reported. We describe four patients with advanced cancer of the head and neck region with coexisting SIADH. Diagnosis and treatment are reported and the literature is reviewed. The possible occurrence of SIADH in the head and neck surgical practice should be kept in mind. Since SIADH is usually transient, water restriction and parenteral sodium chloride may be sufficient in overcoming the acute phase.

The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion with carcinoma of the tongue

A 64-year-old male developed symptomatic recurrent syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion in association with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. His SIADH was managed successfully with saline infusion, frusemide, and maintenance treatment with demeclocycline.