Extravasation Ulcers Following Chemotherapy

Abstract

Intravenous infusion is the principal modality of administration of anti-cancer drugs with numbers exceeding one million infusions each day worldwide [1]. Extravasation is one of the most dreaded complications when administering chemotherapy. It is defined either as the escape of a chemotherapeutic agent from a vessel into the surrounding tissues by leakage or as an involuntary injection of a drug into the tissues. The frequency of extravasation in adults is considered to be between 0.1% and 6% [2]. Extravasation ulcers following chemotherapy is unintended instillation or leakage of drugs into the perivascular space or into the subcutaneous tissue during injection or infusion of chemotherapy in various malignant diseases. The severity of tissue damage can be limited by quick detection of extravasations and swift treatment. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.