A 58-year-old woman developed new-onset recurrent ascites after the recent initiation of cemiplimab for the treatment of advanced basal cell carcinoma. A comprehensive serological workup for viral, metabolic, and autoimmune causes was unrevealing. Transjugular liver biopsy demonstrated parenchymal changes consistent with a diagnosis of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome. While this is a condition commonly observed in patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or use of chemotherapeutic agents, it should also be considered in patients who develop new-onset liver dysfunction after the initiation of checkpoint inhibitors.
Keywords: cemiplimab; check-point inhibitor; nodular regenerative hyperplasia; sinusoidal obstruction syndrome; veno-occlusive disease.
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The American College of Gastroenterology.