Amiodarone Related Skin Toxicity -The Blue Man Syndrome; a Case Report and Review of Literature

Amiodarone induced blue-gray syndrome is a rare condition. It develops over years of use of amiodarone and can lead to discontinuation of the drug. It tends to develop over the sun exposed areas of the body typically involving the face and neck. Published medical literature is scarce with regard to the pathogenesis, clinical implications and management of this potential association. We chronicle here the case of a patient with amiodarone induced blue-grey discoloration of skin from our clinical experience. Furthermore, a systematic literature search of the medical databases PubMed and Google Scholar was conducted. A total of 9 cases fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The data on patients' characteristics, epidemiology, clinical features, comorbid conditions, diagnosis, clinical course and outcome were analyzed. The present review outlines our current understanding of the epidemiology and risk factors for amiodarone induced-blue man syndrome, the pathophysiology of this condition and currently available management options.