Rituximab induced hypoglycemia in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Abstract

Background: Hypoglycemia is a vary rare toxicity of rituximab. The exact mechanism of rituximab induced hypoglycemia is not clear. Case presentation: A 50 year old female presented with a left tonsillar non Hodgkin's lymphoma and was started on R-CHOP chemotherapy. Twenty four hours after the first rituximab infusion, she developed hypoglycemia which was managed by IV glucose infusion. Conclusion: Hypoglycemia following rituximab administration is rare. Possibilities of hypoglycemia should be kept in mind in patients developing symptoms like fatigue, restlessness, and sweating while on rituximab therapy. © 2006 Hussain et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.