[Minocycline-induced hyperpigmentation]

Abstract

A common adverse effect of minocycline therapy is cutaneous pigmentation. We describe two patients who presented with hyperpigmentation caused by minocycline. One patient, aged 54 years, had taken minocycline due to lung silicosis for 3 years before black pigmentation of the face occurred. The other 49 year-old patient developed grey-black hyperpigmentation on both lower legs after a 6-month therapy with minocycline for folliculitis. This patient was treated with the Q-switched ruby laser and the pigmentation resolved in the treated area. The different clinical and histological forms of minocycline-induced hyperpigmentation are discussed.