Idiopathic hyperammonemic encephalopathy is a rare complication of chemotherapy, which has previously mainly been associated with L-asparaginase, cytarabine and 5-FU. We present a case following treatment with gemcitabine-cisplatin in a patient with cholangiocarcinoma. The etiology of chemotherapy-induced idiopathic hyperammonemic encephalopathy remains unclear and existing theories differ per chemotherapeutic agent. Physicians treating patients with gemcitabine-cisplatin should be aware of the possibility of this complication, especially because it is treatable when recognized early.
Keywords: Cisplatin; Gemcitabine; Hyperammonemia; Hyperammonemic encephalopathy.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.