title: The course of melanoma-associated vitiligo: report of a case.
abstract: The appearance of vitiligo-like lesions in patients with malignant melanoma is a well-known yet uncommon phenomenon. This finding is especially reported in patients undergoing immunotherapy with or without chemotherapy for malignant melanoma and is generally believed to be associated with a better prognosis. We report a case of preexisting vitiligo in a 48-year-old man, aggravated after chemo-immunotherapy of pulmonary metastatic melanoma with interferon-alpha, vinblastine and dacarbazine. Skin lesions remained stable after discontinuation of the treatment, and repigmentation heralded the recurrence of metastatic disease. These findings were in favor of vitiligo being a marker of the immunity against melanoma cells and its favorable impact on the prognosis of melanoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. daneshpj@sina.tums.ac.ir
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daneshpazhooh
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shokoohi
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dadban
authors.forename: Jahangir
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raafat
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D014747:Vinblastine; D003606:Dacarbazine