Arterial thrombosis after chemotherapy with cisplatin, vinblastine and methotrexate.

A case of acute arterial thrombosis of the branches of the internal iliac, femoral and popliteal arteries is reported in a 38-year-old man receiving intravenous cisplatin-vinblastine-methotrexate therapy for carcinoma of the urethra. The patient had no angiographic evidence of atheromatous disease or tumour invasion of the occluded arteries and no source of emboli. Although cisplatin and vinblastine are known to cause a variety of vaso-occlusive complications, acute large-vessel arterial occlusion has not previously been reported with this combination of agents.