Radiation recall dermatitis in a patient treated with dacarbazine

Radiation recall describes an inflammatory reaction at a previously irradiated site associated with the use of chemotherapeutic agents. Dacarbazine, a tetrazine cytotoxic drug, has not been noted to cause this phenomenon. We report the case history of a 44-year-old female patient who developed a recall dermatitis due to dacarbazine in a site previously irradiated for the treatment of malignant melanoma. The skin erythema responded quickly to oral corticosteroid treatment. Further cycles of dacarbazine were facilitated with oral corticosteroid premedication. We conclude that dacarbazine should be considered as a potential cause of radiation recall dermatitis and that this can be managed and prevented with oral corticosteroids.