Vincristine-induced paralytic ileus during induction therapy of treatment protocols for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adult patients

Vincristine (VCR) is an important drug used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). VCR-induced neurotoxicity can manifest as peripheral neuropathy, constipation, or paralytic ileus. While there are some case reports describing VCR-induced paralytic ileus (VIPI) in pediatric ALL, there are fewer publication on adult ALL patients. Therefore, we retrospectively investigated VIPI during induction therapy of treatment protocols for ALL in 19 adult patients. The incidence of VIPI was 32%. VIPI was significantly increased in patients receiving concomitant itraconazole (ITCZ) (p = 0.04). We recommend avoidance of the combination of VCR and ITCZ.