Broad range of adverse cutaneous eruptions in patients on TNF-alpha antagonists

Abstract

Biologic therapies targeting tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha have become a mainstay in the management of a number of autoimmune diseases. We report a series of adverse skin eruptions in six patients (four females, two males, age: 21-58 years, mean: 39) receiving 4 months to 10 years (mean 3.1 years) of anti-TNF-alpha therapies (infliximab, n = 4; adalimumab, n = 1 or etanercept, n = 1). The following drug-associated diagnoses were made in eight skin biopsies performed at Massachusetts General Hospital between 3/2007 and 10/2010: pustular folliculitis, psoriasis, interface dermatitis, neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis, Sweet's syndrome, lupus, vasculitis and palmoplantar pustulosis. The descriptions of neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis-like and Sweet's-like hypersensitivity eruptions induced by anti-TNF-alpha therapies are the first such cases described in the literature. Each cutaneous eruption improved or resolved with switching to a different TNF-alpha inhibitor, discontinuation of the anti-TNF-alpha agent, and/or topical or systemic steroids. There was a clear chronologic relationship with, and clinical remission upon withdrawal or steroid suppression of the anti-TNF-alpha agents. The mechanism for such diverse cutaneous eruptions among this class of medications remains poorly understood. The cutaneous adverse reaction profile of TNF-alpha inhibitors is broad and should be considered in the histopathologic differential in this clinical setting.