Cutaneous adverse reactions to hydroxyurea in patients with sickle cell disease.
BACKGROUND
Treatment with hydroxyurea may alleviate the symptoms of sickle cell disease (SCD). Because treatment with hydroxyurea may be responsible for several cutaneous side effects and is often lifelong in patients with SCD, we conducted this study to evaluate the risk of cutaneous adverse reactions in SCD patients treated with hydroxyurea.


METHODS
Seventeen adult patients with SCD treated with hydroxyurea at one institution were examined by a dermatologist. Hydroxyurea was given for a mean of 3.04 years (range, 0.42-6.5 years). None of the patients had skin cancer, but 5 (29%) had disabling hydroxyurea-induced leg ulcers. Four of these 5 patients had a previous history of SCD ulcer, compared with none of the 12 patients without hydroxyurea-induced leg ulcers (P<.05). The mean age of patients with induced ulcers was 35.8 years and for those without ulcers was 23.5 years (P<.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Our rate of hydroxyurea-induced leg ulcers (29%) is higher than that reported for patients with myeloproliferative syndromes (9%). In addition, use of hydroxyurea has induced ulcers mainly in patients with previous SCD ulcers, suggesting that hydroxyurea could act in conjunction with other vascular abnormalities. Careful attention should be required when giving hydroxyurea to patients with SCD with previous ulcers as well as in older patients with SCD.
Chaine
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Hôpital Tenon, 4, rue de la Chine, 75020 Paris, France. selim.aractingi@tnn.ap-hop-paris.fr
Neonato
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Aractingi
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D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000986:Antisickling Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006918:Hydroxyurea / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D013997:Time Factors
D000986:Antisickling Agents; D006918:Hydroxyurea