Pulmonary toxicity secondary to bleomycin: report of a case and clinical update

Toxicidad pulmonar secundaria a bleomicina: reporte de caso y actualización clínica

Some antineoplastic agents can cause pulmonary toxicity, according to their action profile. Bleomycin is one of the drugs with which this event has been reported. This cytostatic can injure the pulmonary endothelium and the alveolar epithelium, which can lead to an inflammatory and fibrotic process of the interstice with potentially fatal repercussions.

The pathophysiology of the pulmonary lnjury is not fully understood, and therefore the potential molecular targets for prevention and treatment have not been defined. The only available treatment with possible clinical efficacy is early administration of corticoids, in order to prevent acule respiratory failure and pulmonary fibrosis.