Leukocytoclastic vasculitis associated with capecitabine.

Background: Leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) is a vasculitic inflammation against blood vessels. Various anticancer therapies can cause vasculitis, but capecitabine-induced LCV is an unusual entity. Here, we describe an LCV case associated with neoadjuvant capecitabine use for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).
Case Report: A 70-year-old man presented with rectal bleeding. A colonoscopic biopsy revealed rectal adenocarcinoma and he was diagnosed with LARC after imaging studies. Capecitabine plus radiation therapy was started as a neoadjuvant treatment.
Management and Outcome: Seven days after the first capecitabine dose, the patient was admitted with a rash. The LCV diagnosis was histopathologically proven. Capecitabine was withheld. After the patient's rash began to regress under corticosteroid pressure, capecitabine was started at a lower dose. His treatment was completed successfully with oral corticosteroids plus low-dose capecitabine.
Discussion: We aimed to point out a rare and unusual adverse effect of a frequently used drug in oncologic practice.
Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.