Acute tumor lysis syndrome in a patient with mixed small cell and non-small cell tumor.

Tumor lysis syndrome, caused by massive tumor cell death, is an infrequent occurrence in solid tumors, and only a few cases of tumor lysis syndrome occurring in patients with lung cancer have been reported. We present a case of tumor lysis syndrome in a patient with mixed small cell and non-small cell lung cancer complicated by Listeria sepsis. Despite aggressive supportive measures with fluids, electrolytes, antibiotics, pressor agents, ventilation, and alkalinization of the urine, multiorgan failure developed, and the patient died on day 5 in the intensive care unit. Physicians should be aware of this infrequent but potentially fatal complication occurring in critically ill patients with bulky solid tumors so that early and aggressive therapeutic measures can be initiated and appropriate monitoring can be performed.