Diagnosis: Chemotherapy-induced acral erythema
Description: Painful erythematous plaques.
Morphology: Plaque
Site: Hand,dorsum
Sex: M
Age: 62
Type: Clinical
Submitted By: Nameer Al-Sudany
Differential DiagnosisHistory:
Palmoplantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome is a relatively common syndrome induced by many chemotherapeutic agents, most frequently 5-fluouracil (5-FU),doxorubicin, and cytosine arabinoside. The reaction which is dose-dependent may occur in as many as 40% of treated patients.
The current case is a 62-year-old man with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who few days after starting chemotherapy complained of dysesthesia of the palms. This is followed in a few days by painful, symmetric dusky erythema and edema of the palms and less severe reaction on the dorsal surface of both hands.