Black lunula caused by Tegafur.

Sir, Tegafur, a fluorinated pyrimidine analogue of 5Fluorouracil (5-FU), is metabolized in vivo with biotransformation to 5-FU (1). It is effective in the treatment of gastrointestinal carcinoma, with the advantages of low myelosuppression and lack of immunosuppression. The cutaneous adverse effects of Tegafur include stomatitis, dry skin, disseminated rash, alopecia, photosensitivity, palmoplantar erythrodysaesthesia, palmoplantar keratoderma, acral hyperpigmentation, diffuse or nail-restricted hyperpigmentation, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, sclerodactyly and Raynaud’s phenomenon (1, 2). We describe a patient with ascending colon cancer who developed black lunula following chemotherapy with oral Tegafur.