Case Report
Etanercept-Induced Pityriasis Lichenoides Chronica in
a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Andrés F. Echeverri,
1
Andrés Vidal,
2
Carlos A. Cañas,
1
Andrés Agualimpia,
1
Gabriel J. Tobón,
1
and Fabio Bonilla-Abadía
1
1
Rheumatology Unit, Fundaci´ on Valle del Lili, Carrera 98 N. 18-49, Cali, Colombia
2
Dermatology Unit, Fundaci´ on Valle del Lili, Carrera 98 N. 18-49, Cali, Colombia
Correspondence should be addressed to Andr´ es F. Echeverri; afeg79@hotmail.com
Received 22 September 2014; Revised 10 December 2014; Accepted 9 February 2015
Academic Editor: Enno Schmidt
Copyright © 2015 Andr´ es F. Echeverri et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly
cited.
We present a 74-year-old female patient who developed a pityriasis lichenoides chronica (PLC) during etanercept therapy. Tis
association is not described in the literature and might be considered in the spectrum of cutaneous adverse reactions of etanercept.
1. Introduction
Pityriasis lichenoides chronica (PLC) is a rare infammatory
skin disorder of unknown etiology that is considered as a
subtype of pityriasis lichenoides. Patients with PLC usually
present with widely distributed red-brown papules on the
trunk and extremities. Te diagnosis of PLC is based upon
the fndings on the physical examination and a skin biopsy
is required to confrm the diagnosis [1]. Several case reports
have shown the association of PLC in patients with infam-
matory diseases treated with antitumor necrosis factor alpha
(anti-TNF) therapies. [2–4]. To our knowledge this is the
frst case reported in the literature of PLC associated with
etanercept treatment.
2. Case Report
A 74-year-old female patient with seropositive rheumatoid
arthritis (RA) diagnosed 18 years ago, with involvement
in proximal interphalangeal joints, metacarpophalangeal,
wrists, elbows, ankles, and lef knee, was treated with
chloroquine, prednisolone, and methotrexate for several
years showing remission of the disease. In recent years,
she presented an infammatory fare with reappearance of
articular infammatory signs, elevated acute phase reactants,
and functional limitation. For this reason lefunomide was
added to treatment without clinical efcacy. Tus, biological
treatment with etanercept 50 mg subcutaneous every week
was started with improvement of infammatory signs and
symptoms. Afer six weeks of etanercept onset, she was
evaluated by Rheumatology and Dermatology services for
the appearance of erythematosus and desquamative papules,
with central scaling on the back and arms (Figure 1). She
had no personal or family history of psoriasis or other skin
diseases. A skin biopsy was indicated.
Histological description showed parakeratosis and mild
acanthosis in the epidermis layer, and perivascular lym-
phocytic infltrates in the papillary dermis, extravasation of
red blood cells, and basal layer vacuolar change were also
observed. Histological fndings were consistent with PLC
(Figure 2).
Autoimmunity tests revealed a positive rheumatoid factor
in 148 UI/ml (<14 UI/ml) and the antinuclear antibodies
(ANAs) were negative.
Treatment with daily topical corticosteroids was initiated.
Afer one month of treatment, the rash has decreased and
treatment with etanercept was continued.
3. Discussion
Te tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-) antagonists are
widely used for the treatment of chronic infammatory
disorders including RA. Te cutaneous adverse reactions are
an important component described in this therapeutic group
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Case Reports in Dermatological Medicine
Volume 2015, Article ID 168063, 2 pages
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/168063