Apremilast Use in a Case of Cicatricial Ectropion Secondary to Severe Lamellar Ichthyosis

Abstract

Ichthyosis is a cutaneous disorder characterized by excessive amounts of dry thickened skin surface scales. Ocular manifestations of ichthyosis include cicatricial ectropion, which may cause exposure keratoconjunctivitis and rarely corneal perforation. Topical emollients, anti-inflammatory ointments, and systemic retinoids have been used to control the disease process, while surgical correction with donor graft has been reserved for severe cases involving corneal exposure. The authors report a case of a Caucasian male with lamellar ichthyosis with severe bilateral upper and lower eyelid cicatricial ectropion and corneal ulceration requiring surgical correction. Treatment with apremilast, a novel phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor, for the treatment of a concomitant plaque psoriasis achieved good control of his skin diseases and minimized the recurrence of eyelid ectropion.