| Web: | mayocliniclabs.com |
|---|---|
| Email: | mcl@mayo.edu |
| Telephone: | 800-533-1710 |
| International: | +1 855-379-3115 |
| Values are valid only on day of printing | |
| Web: | mayocliniclabs.com |
|---|---|
| Email: | mcl@mayo.edu |
| Telephone: | 800-533-1710 |
| International: | +1 855-379-3115 |
| Values are valid only on day of printing | |
A 70-year-old woman has a chief complaint of melena. She has a past medical history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and metastatic breast cancer. Her breast cancer is currently being treated with paclitaxel and pembrolizumab. She undergoes colonoscopy, which is essentially normal. Biopsies of the colon show colonic mucosa with marked crypt apoptosis. The findings are suggestive of drug injury. This pattern is described in immune checkpoint inhibitor associated colitis.
The correct answer is ...
Paclitaxel.
In addition to pembrolizumab, the patient was treated with paclitaxel, which can show a pattern of injury of ringed mitoses. The other answer choices all can show an apoptotic colopathy picture of injury.
Rosalie Sterner, M.D., Ph.D.
Resident, Anatomic & Clinical Pathology
Mayo Clinic
Christopher (Chris) Hartley, M.D.
Consultant, Anatomic Pathology
Mayo Clinic
Assistant Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
