Amitriptyline-induced cutaneous hyperpigmentation: case report and review of psychotropic drug-associated mucocutaneous hyperpigmentation. Eichenfield, Dawn Zhang; Cohen, Philip

Background:  Several drugs can be associated with hyperpigmentation of mucosa or skin. They include antibiotic, antimalarial, antineoplastic, and psychotropic medications. Purpose:  To describe a 42-year-old woman with amitriptyline-associated photo-distributed hyperpigmentation and to review psychotropic drug-induced hyperpigmentation of the skin. Materials and Methods:  The features of a woman with amitriptyline-induced hyperpigmentation are presented. Using PubMed, the following terms were searched and relevant citations were assessed and discussed for context: amitriptyline, chlorpromazine, citalopram, desipramine, drug-associated, drug-induced, Fontana Masson, hyperpigmentation, imipramine, melanin, melanophages, mirtazapine, phenytoin, psychotropic, sertraline, thioridazine, tricyclic antidepressant. Results:  Photo-distributed hyperpigmentation on the upper back of a woman developed six and a half years after initiation of amitriptyline therapy. Biopsy of the affected area showed p...
Source: Dermatology Online Journal - Category: Dermatology Source Type: research