Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat survives accidental vincristine overdose with plasma exchange
By Natasha S. Yeh et al.·Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science·2026·Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Case Report: Successful management of acute vincristine overdose in a cat with metastatic gastric lymphoma using therapeutic plasma exchange
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old male Siamese cat accidentally received four times the normal dose of vincristine, a chemotherapy drug, while being treated for gastric lymphoma. The vet first gave him intravenous lipid emulsion to help manage the overdose and then used a procedure called therapeutic plasma exchange to remove the drug from his system. Although the cat experienced breathing problems during treatment, the vet stopped the procedure and continued with supportive care and additional medications. Thankfully, the cat recovered and was able to go home, showing that this type of treatment can be helpful in cases of chemotherapy overdose.
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Abstract
A 10-year-old male castrated Siamese cat with gastric large B-cell lymphoma was presented following an accidental overdose of vincristine, four times the intended dose. The initial management involved administering intravenous lipid emulsion. Extracorporeal therapy was implemented to reduce plasma vincristine concentrations, beginning with therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) and followed by hemoperfusion (HP). Vincristine clearance was not confirmed through pre- and post-treatment serum levels due to a laboratory handling error. The patient became apneic at the initiation of HP, prompting discontinuation of treatment and completion of TPE alone. Post-TPE management combined intensive supportive care with the administration of cholestyramine, calcium folinate, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. The cat survived to discharge, suggesting a potential role for extracorporeal therapy in managing chemotherapeutic toxicity. However, the absence of pre- and post-treatment serum vincristine levels prevents a definitive assessment of therapeutic efficacy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2026.1791728