Allergic contact dermatitis due to chlorocresol in topical corticosteroids.

services as a foreign medication or for compassionate use. The usual dose is 100mg/day, and adverse effects include yellow discoloration of mucocutaneous zones, lichenoid eruption, aplastic anemia, headache, gastrointestinal symptoms, psychosis, convulsions and worsening of psoriasis. As yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes is very common, patients should be advised of this side effect before starting treatment. The majority of patients tolerate this discoloration, which usually occurs during the first weeks of treatment and resolves completely when treatment is discontinued. While the cause of the discoloration remains unknown, it is not due to hyperbilirubinemia and is related to the cumulative dose. In a series of 8 patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus who were treated with quinacrine, the majority responded favorably, although 50% developed yellow skin discoloration. In summary, despite its multiple adverse effects, quinacrine is a useful drug for the treatment of patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus with retinopathy. In our patient, quinacrine helped to resolve cutaneous lupus erythematosus and made possible a reduction in the dose of prednisone, although skin toxicity eventually led to withdrawal of the treatment.