Negative-pressure wound therapy and early pedicle flap reconstruction of the chest wall after epirubicin extravasation

Abstract

Purpose Accidental extravasation is a serious iatrogenic injury among patients receiving anthracycline-containing chemotherapy. The aim of this work is to present a combination therapy for chest wall reconstruction following epirubicin extravasation. Methods Herein, we report a 68-year-old woman with massive soft tissue necrosis of the anterolateral chest wall after epirubicin extravasation from a port implanted in the subclavicular area. Results The necrotic tissue was resected, the port was removed, and negative-pressure wound therapy was applied. Three weeks later, a latissimus dorsi pedicle flap was successfully used to cover the defect. Conclusions To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of a strategy comprising the combination of negative-pressure wound therapy and a latissimus pedicle flap for reconstruction of the chest wall after soft tissue necrosis following epirubicin extravasation.