Rationale: Chylothorax is a rare adverse effect that is associated with dasatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor administered for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treatment. Most reported cases have described standard dosing. In this case report, we described a 43-year-old male patient with CML who developed chylothorax after 4 years of low-dose dasatinib therapy. To the best of our understanding, this is the first case to report the simultaneous development of pulmonary hypertension, pericardial effusion, and dasatinib-induced chylothorax.
Patient concerns: A 43-year-old male patient with CML developed chylothorax after 4 years of low-dose dasatinib.
Diagnoses: The patient also developed pulmonary hypertension and pericardial effusion at the same time.
Interventions: Therapeutic interventions included thoracentesis, steroids, diuretics, and sildenafil. Dasatinib was discontinued and replaced with nilotinib, which resolved the chylothorax, pulmonary hypertension, and pericardial effusion.
Outcomes: Chylothorax occurs with long-term and low-dose dasatinib administration. Concurrent pulmonary hypertension and pericardial effusion, although infrequent, may occur. Prompt recognition, dasatinib discontinuation, and therapeutic interventions are crucial for optimizing outcomes.
Lessons: Close monitoring for these rare side effects is paramount even in patients on long-term or low-dose dasatinib.
Copyright © 2025 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.