[Toxidermy mimicking acute chemotherapy-induced lupus erythematosus]

Acute chemotherapy-induced lupus erythematosus (ALE) is rare. A few cases have been reported in the literature criminalizing capecitabine, paclitaxel and docetaxel. We report the case of a 64-year old female patient without a history of autoimmune diseases or of drug allergy followed up for invasive ductal carcinoma in the right breast immediately metastatized to the liver and to the lymph nodes. After AC60 first line chemotherapy regimen (a total of 6 cycles), she was treated with docetaxel at a dose of 100 mg/m². After 5 cycles, she had diffuse erythematous lesions on both hands, forearms, cheeks and on the peribuccal area. She underwent corticosteroid therapy with sun protection and could continue the same chemotherapy until the eighth cycle. Patient's evolution was marked by the progression of the disease. She was treated with capecitabine at a dose of 1250 mg/m² twice a day. After six cycles she had erythematosquamous and itchy patches on the face resembling the wings of a butterfly (Panel A, Panel B) with oral ulceration and digital pulpitis (Panel C). This initially suggested acute chemotherapy-induced cutaneous lupus erythematosus. Biopsy suggested lichenoid toxidermia. Immunological assessment was performed to exclude chemotherapy-induced cutaneous lupus erythematosus, which showed anti-native DNA antibodies and negative anti-histone antibodies. Anti-nuclear antibody test is positive at 320; this test may be positive in 50-70% of patients with breast cancer, ENT or lymphoma. In the light of these results the diagnosis of toxidermia was the more likely.