Related Articles

Warfarin-induced skin necrosis.

J Am Acad Dermatol. 2009 Aug;61(2):325-32

Authors: Nazarian RM, Van Cott EM, Zembowicz A, Duncan LM

Warfarin-induced skin necrosis is a rare complication of anticoagulant therapy with a high associated morbidity and mortality requiring immediate drug cessation. Cutaneous findings include petechiae that progress to ecchymoses and hemorrhagic bullae. Characteristic dermatopathological findings are diffuse dermal microthrombi with endothelial cell damage and red cell extravasation with progression to full-thickness coagulative necrosis. The lesions of warfarin-induced skin necrosis may be difficult to differentiate from mimickers, but skin biopsy in conjunction with careful consideration of the clinical history, including time of onset, cutaneous distribution of the lesions, and laboratory findings, are essential for prompt diagnosis and patient treatment. Herein, we review the clinical and histologic features helpful for differentiating warfarin-induced skin necrosis and report a case illustrative of the diagnostic difficulty that may at times be encountered in clinical practice.

PMID: 19615543 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Related Articles

Chemotherapeutic agents and the skin: An update.

J Am Acad Dermatol. 2008 Apr;58(4):545-70

Authors: Heidary N, Naik H, Burgin S

Chemotherapeutic agents give rise to numerous well described adverse effects that may affect the skin, hair, mucous membranes, or nails. The mucocutaneous effects of longstanding agents have been extensively studied and reviewed. Over the last 2 decades, a number of new molecular entities for the treatment of cancer have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This article reviews the cutaneous toxicity patterns of these agents. It also reviews one drug that has not received FDA approval but is in use outside the United States and is important dermatologically. Particular emphasis is placed on the novel signal transduction inhibitors as well as on newer literature pertaining to previously described reactions. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: At the completion of this learning activity, participants should able to list the newer chemotherapeutic agents that possess significant mucocutaneous side effects and describe the range of reactions that are seen with each drug. In addition, they should be able to formulate appropriate management strategies for these reactions.

PMID: 18342708 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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