Anastrozole-Induced Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
Drug-induced subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (DI-SCLE) has been associated with numerous drugs, but there are limited reports of its association with aromatase inhibitor anastrozole. We report the case of a patient undergoing treatment with anastrozole for breast cancer who presented with clinical, serological, and histological evidence consistent with DI-SCLE. Her condition quickly began to improve after the use of anastrozole was discontinued and hydroxychloroquine therapy was initiated. Cases such as ours as well as several others that implicate antiestrogen drugs in association with DI-SCLE seem to be contradictory to studies looking at the usefulness of treating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with antiestrogen therapy. Further research on this relationship is warranted.
Practice Points
- There are numerous cases of drug-induced subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (DI-SCLE) published in the literature; however, there are limited reports with anastrozole implicated as the causative agent.
- Cases of DI-SCLE are clinically and histologically indistinguishable from idiopathic cases. It is important to recognize and withdraw the offending agent.
Comment
Presentation of SCLE
Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus is a form of lupus erythematosus characterized by nonscarring, annular, scaly, erythematous plaques that occur on sun-exposed skin. The lesions are classically distributed on the upper back, chest, dorsal arms, and lateral neck but also can be found in other locations.3,4 Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus may be idiopathic; may occur in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren syndrome, or deficiency of the second component of complement (C2d); or may be drug induced.5 On histology SCLE presents as a lichenoid tissue reaction with focal vacuolization of the epidermal basal layer and perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate. On direct immunofluorescence, both idiopathic and drug-induced SCLE present with granular deposition of IgM, IgG, and C3 in a bandlike array at the dermoepidermal junction and circulating anti-Ro/SS-A antibodies. Therefore, histopathologically and immunologically, DI-SCLE is indistinguishable from idiopathic cases.6
,Differential Diagnosis
It was previously thought that the clinical presentation of DI-SCLE and idiopathic SCLE were indistinguishable; however, Marzano et al2 described remarkable differences in the cutaneous manifestations of the 2 diseases. Drug-induced SCLE lesions are more widespread, occur more frequently on the legs, and may be bullous or erythema multiforme–like versus the idiopathic lesions, which tend to be more concentrated on the upper body and classically present as scaly erythematous plaques. Additionally, malar rash and vasculitic lesions, such as purpura and necrotic-ulcerative lesions, are seen more often in DI-SCLE.
Drug-induced systemic lupus erythematosus (DI-SLE) is a lupuslike syndrome that can be differentiated from DI-SCLE by virtue of its clinical and serological presentation. It differs from DI-SCLE in that DI-SLE typically does not present with skin symptoms; rather, systemic symptoms such as fever, weight loss, arthralgia, polyarthritis, pericarditis, and pleuritis are more commonly seen. Additionally, it has been associated with antihistone antibodies.4 More than 80 drugs have been reported to cause DI-SLE, including procainamide, hydralazine, and quinidine.7
To be classified as either DI-SCLE or DI-SLE, symptoms need to present after administration of the triggering drug and must resolve after the drug is discontinued.7 The drugs most commonly associated with DI-SCLE are thiazides, calcium channel blockers, tumor necrosis factor α inhibitors, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and terbinafine, with few cases citing anastrozole as the inciting agent.4,6,8,9 The incubation period for DI-SCLE varies substantially. Thiazide diuretics and calcium channel blockers typically have the longest incubation period, ranging from 6 months to 5 years for thiazides,1,6,10,11 while calcium channel blockers have an average incubation period of 3 years.12 Drug-induced SCLE associated with antifungals, however, usually is much more rapid in onset; the incubation period on average is 5 weeks for terbinafine and 2 weeks for griseofulvin.13-15
