Hydrochlorothiazide/Indometacin: Lupus Erythematosus in a 73-Year-Old Woman After Hydroxycarbamide Treatment for Essential Thrombocythemia
October 2009
in “
Reactions Weekly
”
TLDR A woman developed lupus after taking hydroxyurea for two years.
A 73-year-old woman developed lupus erythematosus after two years of treatment with hydroxycarbamide (hydroxyurea) for essential thrombocythemia. She presented with facial erythema, labial erosions, erythematous and pigmented facial plaques, squamous cheilitis, multiple erosions on her upper lip, and telogen effluvium. Histology and direct immunofluorescence confirmed the diagnosis, and laboratory tests showed inflammatory anaemia, a high ANA titre of 1:3200, and positive anticardiolipin antibodies. Upon discontinuing hydroxycarbamide, her symptoms improved within one week. The pharmacovigilance enquiry suggested a probable link between hydroxyurea and the induction of lupus.