Terbinafine therapy may be associated with the development of psoriasis de novo or its exacerbation: four case reports and a review of drug-induced psoriasis.
Adverse effects may occur in 10.4% of patients receiving terbinafine therapy, with cutaneous reactions in 2.7%. We describe the development of psoriasis in four patients who took oral terbinafine. Two patients had plaque-type psoriasis that flared 12 and 17 days, respectively, after starting terbinafine. Another patient developed pustular-type psoriasis de novo after 27 days of terbinafine therapy. The fourth patient was a psoriatic with stable plaque disease who experienced a pustular flare after taking terbinafine for 21 days. We are aware of only one report in the literature in which a patient developed pustular psoriasis de novo after 5 days of terbinafine therapy. In all patients the psoriasis cleared or lessened after discontinuation of terbinafine and institution of antipsoriatic therapy.
Gupta
A K
AK
Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Science Center, Toronto, Canada.
Sibbald
R G
RG
Knowles
S R
SR
Lynde
C W
CW
Shear
N H
NH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D000077291:Terbinafine
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D009281:Naphthalenes; D000077291:Terbinafine