A Case Report of Inflammatory Nonscarring Alopecia Associated with the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor Erlotinib

June 2009 in “ Journal of Cutaneous Pathology ”

Marinya Pongpudpunth, Marie France Demierre, Lynne J. Goldberg

nonscarring alopecia epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor erlotinib EGFRI anagen hair follicles catagen hair follicles telogen hair follicles lymphoplasmocytic infiltration EGFR inhibitor

TLDR Erlotinib can cause nonscarring hair loss and itchy skin.

This case report described a 60-year-old woman with non-small cell lung cancer who developed nonscarring alopecia and a generalized itchy skin eruption after starting treatment with the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor (EGFRI) erlotinib. Scalp biopsy revealed typical features of nonscarring alopecia associated with EGFRIs, including a near-equal number of anagen and catagen/telogen hair follicles and lymphoplasmocytic infiltration. The report highlighted the importance of recognizing these side effects, as EGFRIs were expected to be increasingly used in cancer treatment, necessitating awareness among dermatopathologists for accurate diagnosis and management.

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