Successful management of imatinib despite alopecia and nail necrosis

Imatinib mesylate selectively inhibits bcr/abl and other non-specific tyrosine kinases, such as c-kit and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor and successfully used to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). In most cases, the drug is well tolerated: however, side effects can be seen. Hair loss and paronychia inflammation were often reported with Imatinib, but total alopecia was rarely mentioned. We report a CML patient who was presented with alopecia and paronychia inflammation probably induced by imatinib therapy. We have successfully treated our patient by cessation and then re-applying therapy with lower doses after improvement of lesions and have not found a similar report in literature.