[A case of fatal clinical course with reversible acute cardiac failure and glucose intolerance during sorafenib therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma].

A 72-year-old man was diagnosed with right renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with multiple brain and lung metastases (cT3aN0M1). He underwent γ-knife treatment for brain metastases, palliative right renal artery embolization for primary RCC, and interferon- alpha treatment for residual lung metastases. Although the interferon-alpha treatment was effective, it was discontinued because of side effects. He received sorafenib (800 mg/daily) therapy for 2 months. Suddenly, he developed left cardiac failure, and he died 6 days later through a rapid clinical course that included circulatory failure, abnormal glucose tolerance, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and multiple organ failure. A pathological examination could not explain the cause of death. It is important to carefully observe metastatic RCC patients receiving a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, especially sorafenib, because critical side effects may appear.