A Case of Taxane-Induced Scleroderma Presenting in a Unilateral Upper Limb and a Literature Review

A 64-year-old woman with progressive thickening of the skin on her left upper limb was referred to our clinic. She had previously undergone partial mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection for left-sided breast cancer, followed by postoperative radiation therapy and chemotherapy with docetaxel. She exhibited edema and sclerosis of the left arm and contracture limited to the fingers of the left hand, while her right arm and lower extremities remained unaffected. There were no signs of Raynaud's phenomenon or periungual capillary abnormalities suggestive of systemic sclerosis. Skin biopsy from the left forearm showed dermal thickening with swollen collagen fibers throughout the dermis. A diagnosis of unilateral docetaxel-induced scleroderma was established. Taxane-induced scleroderma typically manifests symmetrically in the lower limbs with prominent edema. This report describes a rare case of unilateral upper limb involvement and discusses its characteristics with a review of previously reported cases.