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Case Reports
. 2024 Jan-Dec:12:23247096241265896.
doi: 10.1177/23247096241265896.

Facial Hyperpigmentation: A Rare Side Effect of Adalimumab

Malek Mrad  1   2 , Mariam Tabka  1   2 , Asmahane Souissi  1   2 , Ines Chelly  1 , Mourad Mokni  1   2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Facial Hyperpigmentation: A Rare Side Effect of Adalimumab

Malek Mrad et al. J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep. 2024 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

This report describes a case of facial hyperpigmentation in a patient with Crohn's disease receiving adalimumab, a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitor. The onset of hyperpigmentation coincided with adalimumab administration, and its discontinuation resulted in significant improvement. Histopathological findings suggest a postinflammatory process at the dermo-epidermal junction. However, the precise mechanism remains unclear.

Keywords: Crohn’s disease; TNF-alpha inhibitors; adalimumab; cutaneous adverse events; facial hyperpigmentation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
(A) Symmetrical dark-brown to grayish hyperpigmentation of the face; note the sparing of the infraorbital region and the nose. (B) Focal dyskeratotic epidermis with spongiosis and keratinocyte necrosis. Perivascular and peri-annexal lymphocytic infiltrate in the dermis with pigment incontinence (Hematoxylin and Eosin, ×10). (C) Improvement in the face after the discontinuation of adalimumab.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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