Severe neurological symptoms in a patient with advanced renal cell carcinoma treated with sunitinib.

Neurological symptoms are uncommon in patients administered sunitinib therapy; however, a few cases of dramatic neurotoxicity attributable to the development of reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome have been reported. Here, we report a case of a 71-year old woman with severe neurological symptoms occurring during sunitinib therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The clinical symptoms were typical for reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome, but there were no accompanying neuroimaging abnormalities. A Naranjo probability score of 3 indicates the adverse drug reaction was possible, but we discuss other potential causes of this event.