title: Severe local skin reactions to interferon beta-1b in multiple sclerosis-improvement by deep subcutaneous injection.
abstract: Severe local skin reactions to subcutaneous injection of interferon beta-1b in multiple sclerosis are rare, and only 12 cases of severe skin reaction due to interferon beta-1b have been reported to date. We report two cases of severe skin reactions in multiple sclerosis patients following the injection of subcutaneous interferon beta-1b. In case 1, after five years of treatment, a painful indurated erythematous lesion appeared at the injection site on the left buttock. On histological analysis, the lesion showed septal and lobular panniculitis with lymphocytic infiltration. In case 2, cutaneous ulceration was surrounded by painful induration, which developed at the injection site on the right thigh after four years of treatment. The lesions resolved rapidly after discontinuation of interferon beta-1b treatment in both cases. Here, we review cases of similar lesions caused by interferon beta-1b reported in the literature, and discuss the characteristics, mechanism, treatment, and prevention of such lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ten-nodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawachi
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Furuta
authors.forename: Fujio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Otsuka
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000328:Adult; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous / Q000379:methods; D000068576:Interferon beta-1b; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000068576:Interferon beta-1b; D016899:Interferon-beta