A 51-year-old female underwent an uncomplicated resection of a sigmoid adenocarcinoma. Postoperatively, 12 cycles of the FOLFOX chemotherapy regime were completed, consisting of a combination of folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin over a 24 week period. Following chemotherapy, the patient developed simultaneous adhesive capsulitis in both shoulder joints, as radiologically confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. Bilateral adhesive capsulitis is rare and usually associated with a systemic cause. This case highlights a possible previously unreported association between the widely used FOLFOX chemotherapy regime and bilateral adhesive capsulitis. Oncologists and orthopaedic surgeons should be aware of such presentations in FOLFOX patients to facilitate prompt investigation and management.
INTRODUCTIONAdhesive capsulitis of the shoulder (or 'frozen shoulder') manifests as chronic pain and gradual deterioration in both passive and active glenohumeral movement as a result of extensive fibrosis and eventual contracture of the glenohumeral joint capsule [1]. It is a relatively common condition, with a reported prevalence of 2% to 5%, typically affecting women aged between 40 years and 60 years [2]. The progression of the disease manifests in three widely recognized stages. In the first stage (freezing stage), early inflammatory changes and reactive synovitis lead to severe shoulder pain and restricted range of motion. The second stage (frozen stage) presents with marked stiffness of the shoulder with significant restriction in everyday activities as a result of pathological capsular thickening. The final stage (thawing stage) is the slow return of normal range of movement and strength.Bilateral adhesive capsulitis can occur in up to 20% of patients; however, simultaneous bilateral pathology is very uncommon, with the majority of cases being associated with an underlying systemic cause [3]. A previous study by Hutchinson et al. demonstrated a strong association between adhesive capsulitis and a synthetic matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitor called Marimastat (British Biotech, Oxford, UK), which is used for inoperable gastric carcinoma [4]. To date, no other chemotherapy regimes have been linked with adhesive capsulitis pathology. A significant relationship has also been shown between unilateral adhesive capsulitis and human immunodeficiency virus patients on highly-active antiretroviral therapy, particularly protease inhibitors [5,6].The FOLFOX chemotherapy regime is widely recognized for the management of advanced colorectal carcinoma. In particular, it