Korean J Dermatol.  2012 Aug;50(8):747-750.

Imatinib Mesylate Induced Acquired Dermal Melanocytosis

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea. jylee@catholic.ac.kr

Abstract

Dermal melanocytosis is most commonly found in the skin of Asians and other darkly pigmented populations. It is histologically characterized by the presence of ectopic melanocytes in the dermis. Mongolian spots, nevus of Ota, nevus of Ito and blue nevus are the most common types, and these are usually present at birth or in early childhood. However, acquired dermal melanocytoses that appear in adult life are rare. A 65 year-old female had taken imatinib mesylate to treat gastrointestinal stomach tumor. Few months later, brownish or slate-bluish pigmented patches appeared on her face, supraclavicular, and scapular area. The skin biopsy specimen, taken from the forehead, revealed scattered, pigmented, spindle-shaped cells, and dendritic cells containing brown pigment in the dermis. Herein, we report a case of acquired dermal melanocytosis induced by imatinib mesylate.

Keyword

Acquired; Dermal melanocytosis; Imatinib mesylate

MeSH Terms

Adult
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Benzamides
Biopsy
Dendritic Cells
Dermis
Female
Forehead
Humans
Melanocytes
Mesylates
Mongolian Spot
Nevus
Nevus of Ota
Nevus, Blue
Parturition
Piperazines
Pyrimidines
Skin
Stomach
Imatinib Mesylate
Benzamides
Mesylates
Piperazines
Pyrimidines
Full Text Links
  • KJD
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr