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Case Reports
. 2023 May 20;9(5):e16120.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16120. eCollection 2023 May.

Vitamin B12 induced acneiform eruption

Imane Bahbouhi  1 , Maryem Aboudourib  1 , Ouafa Hocar  1 , Said Amal  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Vitamin B12 induced acneiform eruption

Imane Bahbouhi et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

A 47-year-old, north african, male patient, has recently been diagnosed with pernicious anemia, treated with weekly intramuscular hydroxocobalamin. 6 weeks after its initiation, the patient presented a sudden, extensive and monomorphic eruption of inflammatory papulo-pustules and nodules, affecting the face, and the trunk. The eruption was pruritic, and comedones were also present, on the chest. The patient was diagnosed with vitamin B12-induced acneiform eruption. Levels of vitamin B12 were normalized. Hydroxocobalamin was therefore stopped and lymecycline was started, allowing a complete resolution of the lesions within 3 months. Drug intake, sudden and uncommon age of onset, pruritus, a monomorphic pattern and an involvement of extra-seborrheic areas are features that distinguish acneiform eruptions from acne vulgaris.

Keywords: Acne; Acneiform eruption; Vitamin B12.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Monomorphic eruption made of papulo-pustules and inflammatory nodules involving the face and the chest, along with a few comedones on the chest.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Improvement after six months, with keloid scarring mostly on the chest.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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