A Case of Scleroderma-like Cutaneous Lesions Induced by Docetaxel in a Patient with Breast Cancer

Jun-Su Byun; Seung-Hwa Kang; Min-Jae Lee; So-Yeon Kim; Hyung-Gyu Choi; Hyo Rak Lee

doi:10.4078/jrd.2013.20.5.323

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Byun, Kang, Lee, Kim, Choi, and Lee: A Case of Scleroderma-like Cutaneous Lesions Induced by Docetaxel in a Patient with Breast Cancer

Case Report

J Rheum Dis 2013;20(5):323-327.

Published online: 31 October 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4078/jrd.2013.20.5.323

A Case of Scleroderma-like Cutaneous Lesions Induced by Docetaxel in a Patient with Breast Cancer

Jun-Su Byun, Seung-Hwa Kang, Min-Jae Lee, So-Yeon Kim, Hyung-Gyu Choi, Hyo Rak Lee

Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea

Corresponding to : Hyo Rak Lee, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, 75, Nowon-gil, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-706, Korea. E-mail : cisplatin@kcch.re.kr

Received 29 August 201215 October 2012 Accepted 15 October 2012

This is a Free Access article, which permits unrestricted non-commerical use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Docetaxel, an anti-microtubule agent, has been reported to show cytotoxic effects in solid tumors. Its toxicities also in-clude neutropenia, alopecia, skin reaction, and fluid retention. In this study, we report on a case of a 57-year- old Korean female who presented with rapidly progressive scleroderma-like cutaneous changes in the upper and lower extremities after administration of docetaxel. Results of the following tests were normal or negative: full blood count, serum urea, creatinine, electrolytes, liver function test, thyroid function test, rheumatoid factor, anti-nuclear antibody, and anti-topoisomerase antibody. No structural abnormalities were noted on esophagogastroduodenoscopy, chest computed tomography, and Doppler ultrasono-graphy. A biopsy of skin from the left calf showed dermal sclerosis. There was no other explanation for the lesion, except a scleroderma-like cutaneous change induced by docetaxel in this Korean female undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

Keywords: Scleroderma-like cutaneous lesion, Docetaxel, Skin lesion

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Figure 1.

Thickened and harde-ned skin with edema on both hands (A), feet (B), and the left lower extremity (C).

Figure 2.

The biopsy was taken from the skin of the left calf. The skin biopsy section shows diffuse dermal sclerosis with discretely thickened collagen bundles in the dermis (hematoxylin-eosin stain; original magnification: (A) ×40 (B) ×200).

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