Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Pigmentation

Pigmentation

The color of the skin is influenced by a number of pigments, including melanin, carotene, and hemoglobin. Recall that melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes, which are found scattered throughout the stratum basale of the epidermis. The melanin is transferred to the keratinocytes via melanosomes.
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...

Changes in Skin Color: Clinical Perspectives

Changes in Skin Color: Clinical Perspectives

The first thing a clinician sees is the skin, so the examination of the skin should be part of any thorough physical examination. Most skin disorders are relatively benign, but a few, including melanomas, can be fatal if untreated. A couple of the more noticeable disorders, albinism and vitiligo, affect the appearance of the skin and its accessory organs.
Albinism
Albinism is a genetic disorder that affects (completely or partially) the coloring of skin, hair, and eyes. The defect is primarily...

Factors Affecting Dissolution: Polymorphism, Amorphism and Pseudopolymorphism

Factors Affecting Dissolution: Polymorphism, Amorphism and Pseudopolymorphism

Polymorphism refers to the existence of a drug substance in multiple crystalline forms, known as polymorphs. Recently, this term has been expanded to include solvates (forms containing a solvent), amorphous forms (non-crystalline forms), and desolvated solvates (forms from which the solvent has been removed).
Some polymorphic crystals possess lower aqueous solubility than their amorphous counterparts, leading to incomplete absorption. For instance, the oral suspension of Chloramphenicol, which...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Second Report of the American Intestinal Transplant Working Group: New Insights Into Risk Factors, Treatment Regimens, and Outcomes of Malignancy After Intestinal Transplantation.

Transplantation·2026

Same author

Tailoring desensitization in intestinal transplants: C1q guided protocol for highly sensitized recipients.

Intestinal Failure (New York, N.Y.)·2026

Same author

Commentary on: Along the Spectrum from Reduction to Mastectomy: Comparing the Opinions of an Online Transmasculine and Gender-Diverse Community on an Algorithmic Approach to Gender-Affirming Top Surgery.

Aesthetic plastic surgery·2026

Same author

Corrigendum to "Treatment of erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp using aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy: A report of 2 cases" [Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy, Volume 54 (2025): 104656].

Photodiagnosis and photodynamic therapy·2025

Same author

Adenocarcinoma With Intestinal and Pancreatobiliary Features Arising From a Sacrococcygeal Teratoma in an Adult Female: A Case Report.

Case reports in pathology·2025

Same author

Long-term Outcome After Nonvascularized Rectus Fascia Transplantation in Solid Organ Transplantation: A Global Multicenter IIRTA Survey.

Transplantation direct·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 22, 2025

Pharmacologic Induction of Epidermal Melanin and Protection Against Sunburn in a Humanized Mouse Model

Pharmacologic Induction of Epidermal Melanin and Protection Against Sunburn in a Humanized Mouse Model

Published on: September 7, 2013

Polymyxin B-induced skin hyperpigmentation.

Yumeng M Li¹, Clara Milikowski², Gennaro Selvaggi³

¹Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.

Transplant Infectious Disease : an Official Journal of the Transplantation Society

|May 10, 2020

Summary

Polymyxin B (PMB), an antibiotic for resistant infections, can cause skin hyperpigmentation. This case report details a patient who developed diffuse skin darkening after intravenous PMB treatment.

Keywords:

hyperpigmentation medication side effect multi-drug resistance polymyxin B

More Related Videos

Methods to Inhibit Bacterial Pyomelanin Production and Determine the Corresponding Increase in Sensitivity to Oxidative Stress

Methods to Inhibit Bacterial Pyomelanin Production and Determine the Corresponding Increase in Sensitivity to Oxidative Stress

Published on: August 31, 2015

Using a 1064-nm Picosecond Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Laser for Periorbital Hyperpigmentation

Using a 1064-nm Picosecond Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Laser for Periorbital Hyperpigmentation

Published on: May 23, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 22, 2025

Pharmacologic Induction of Epidermal Melanin and Protection Against Sunburn in a Humanized Mouse Model

Pharmacologic Induction of Epidermal Melanin and Protection Against Sunburn in a Humanized Mouse Model

Published on: September 7, 2013

Methods to Inhibit Bacterial Pyomelanin Production and Determine the Corresponding Increase in Sensitivity to Oxidative Stress

Methods to Inhibit Bacterial Pyomelanin Production and Determine the Corresponding Increase in Sensitivity to Oxidative Stress

Published on: August 31, 2015

Using a 1064-nm Picosecond Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Laser for Periorbital Hyperpigmentation

Using a 1064-nm Picosecond Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Laser for Periorbital Hyperpigmentation

Published on: May 23, 2025

Area of Science:

Pharmacology
Dermatology
Infectious Diseases

Background:

Polymyxin B (PMB) is crucial for treating multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacterial infections.
PMB use is limited by potential toxicities like nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity.
Intra-abdominal infections post-transplant necessitate potent antibiotics like PMB.

Observation:

A 30-year-old female patient developed diffuse skin darkening after initiating intravenous PMB for MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection post-multi-visceral transplantation.
Hyperpigmentation was most pronounced on the face and forearms, peaking at 2 weeks.
Discontinuation of PMB after 3 weeks led to gradual improvement in skin discoloration.

Findings:

Skin biopsy confirmed hypermelanosis of the basal layer and dermal melanin deposition.
The clinical presentation was consistent with drug-induced hyperpigmentation attributed to Polymyxin B.
Histopathological findings support a mechanism involving melanin accumulation.

Implications:

This case underscores a rare but notable adverse effect of Polymyxin B therapy.
Awareness of PMB-induced hyperpigmentation is crucial for clinicians managing patients on this antibiotic.
Prompt recognition and discontinuation may lead to resolution of skin discoloration.