Halo Nevi, Vitiligo, and Diffuse Alopecia Areata Associated with Tocilizumab Therapy
August 2016
in “
Oxford Medical Case Reports
”
TLDR Tocilizumab therapy may cause skin and hair conditions like halo naevi, vitiligo, and alopecia areata.
A 33-year-old woman with juvenile onset arthritis developed halo naevi, vitiligo, and diffuse alopecia areata while on tocilizumab therapy, following an MRSA infection. This case was the first to describe these events, supporting theories on cellular and humoral immunity as causative factors. The regression of melanocytes during tocilizumab treatment suggested that IL-6 and sIL-6R could be future targets for melanoma treatment due to their direct effect on melanocytic cytotoxicity, aligning with previous studies.
