Ocular side effects and trichomegaly of eyelashes induced by erlotinib: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Therapeutics belonging to the group of epidermal growth factor inhibitors are currently in widespread use for the treatment of certain malignancies, especially in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. A wide spectrum of the cutaneous side effects of these drugs are well known but the ocular side effects and trichomegaly of eyelashes are rarely reported, particularly for an ophthalmology audience. This report presents a case of erlotinib induced eyelash trichomegaly and the other ocular side effects of this drug in a 74 year-old female patient with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. Trichomegaly is not a drug-limiting side effect, however long eyelashes often cause eyeball irritation and corneal epithelial defects. Herein, the authors emphasize the importance of recognizing this side effect in order to avoid from severe complications such as corneal ulcers in uncared patients.

Keywords: Erlotinib; Eyelashes; Trichomegaly.