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Leukoderma Induced by Rotigotine Patch, a Transdermal Dopamine Agonist
Ronan Talty1,2, Goran Micevic1,2, Alice Wang1,3
1Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Abstract:
Leukoderma, or hypomelanosis of the skin, can occur in response to various chemical and pharmacologic substances ranging from topical medications to optic preparations and systemic medications. In this case report, we present a 78-year-old man with a history of restless leg syndrome (RLS) who had been using rotigotine transdermal patches once daily for 1 year and developed leukoderma on the bilateral anterior shoulders in the area of patch application. Histopathologic examination showed an absence of melanocytes at the dermal-epidermal junction confirmed by Melan A stain. While the patient was not bothered by the depigmentation and elected to continue the rotigotine patch for his RLS, this case highlights leukoderma as a potential side effect of dopamine transdermal patches and offers insight into the potential mechanism of hypopigmentation in response to dopamine agonism.
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