Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, renal failure, and noncardiogenic pulmonary edema: a chemotherapy-induced syndrome.

Following gastrectomy for locally advanced adenocarcinomas, three patients developed microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and renal failure shortly after completing courses of adjuvant chemotherapy with mitomycin and 5-FU. These complications progressed despite cessation of chemotherapy, and all three patients died of noncardiogenic pulmonary edema precipitated in two cases by blood transfusions. At autopsy, two patients had no residual carcinoma and all had a diffuse microangiopathy involving mainly the kidneys and lungs. There was intimal hyperplasia of many arterioles sometimes associated with complete occlusion of the lumen, prominent nuclear atypia in many capillary cells, and numerous capillary fibrin thrombi. Direct immunofluorescence studies revealed extensive fibrinogen-fibrin deposits in the vascular lesions. Chemotherapy-induced microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and renal failure may predispose patients to fatal episodes of noncardiogenic pulmonary edema that can be triggered by blood transfusions.