The development of new biological drugs for the treatment of advanced oncological processes or severe inflammatory diseases brings with it the appearance of new adverse effects. Vedolizumab, an α4β7 integrin inhibitor antibody, is approved for induction and maintenance therapy in both Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis. We report a case of severe acneiform eruption induced by vedolizumab in a 17-year-old woman with ulcerative colitis.

Vemurafenib, a kinase inhibitor that targets tumors with the BRAF V600E mutation, is a promising option for unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Cutaneous side-effects have been reported including alopecia, photosensitivity, squamous cell carcinoma, keratoacanthomas, keratosis pilaris-like eruption, and palmoplantar hyperkeratosis. Acneiform eruptions have been reported in 3%-6% of the patients treated with BRAF inhibitors,and 5 cases are described in the literature. Although they responded well to topical therapies, oral antibiotics, or observation, one case required oral etretinate and the withdrawal of vemurafenib because the adverse event reached grade 3. We report one case of a severe acneiform eruption associated with vemurafenib with a good response to isotretinoin allowing continuation of the BRAF inhibitor.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EFGR) inhibitors are targeted chemotherapeutic agents that are effective in treating various epithelial cancers. Cutaneous adverse effects, most commonly acneiform/papulopustular eruption, can occur with these medications and limit their tolerability. In severe cases, patients may refuse treatment with EGFR inhibitors because of the significant impact on the quality of life and aesthetic discomfort. We present a 72-year-old-man with a history of EGFR+ non-small-cell lung carcinoma who developed a severe acneiform eruption secondary to afatinib that failed to improve with various traditional treatment modalities. The patient was treated with dapsone and his acneiform eruption resolved within two months of initiating therapy. Patient tolerated dapsone with no reported adverse effects and continues on low dose dapsone, as he will remain on afatinib indefinitely. Dapsone can be an effective therapy for refractory or severe cases of EGFR-induced acneiform eruptions. As in this case, dapsone may improve patient adherence to EGFR inhibitors, thereby allowing for effective therapy of underlying malignancy.

Cutaneous side effects such as acneiform eruption, xerosis, and paronychia are frequently observed in patients undergoing treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancer and other solid tumors. Interestingly, these side effects appear to positively correlate with length of remission, indicating that disruption of homeostatic EGFR signaling in the skin may serve as a marker of therapeutic EGFR inhibition in tumors. We report the case of a woman with metastatic lung cancer in remission being treated with the EGFR inhibitor, erlotinib, who experienced numerous commonly occurring adverse cutaneous reactions early in her treatment, and after two years of treatment developed eruptive nevi as well as a nevoid melanoma. Changes in pigmented lesions and the development of melanoma have been described during treatment with the BRAF inhibitor, vemurafenib, and are believed to relate to paradoxical activation of BRAF and the MAPK pathway. We speculate that a similar mechanism may occur during treatment with EGFR inhibitors. Therefore, thorough skin examinations are essential for patients undergoing long term treatment with erlotinib.

We present a 57-year-old woman with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE), initially treated as acne. She noted blemishes, including nodules and facial swelling for nine months associated with discrete itching of the ears. Examination showed multiple malar nodules, comedones, pustules, atrophic scars, and hyperpigmentation. A biopsy was performed and revealed atrophic epidermis, discrete hyperkeratosis, vacuolar degeneration of basal layer, basal membrane zone with upper dermal lymphohistiocytic inflammatory infiltrate and deep perivascular and peri-adenexal lymphocytes, vascular ectasia, and mucin deposits. The acneiform presentation of CLE is commonly underdiagnosed due to the similarity with inflammatory acne. Histopathologic diagnostic in acneiform lupus is of extreme importance. This case emphasizes the relevance of knowing the notable variety of presentations of CLE and considering this diagnosis.

Pityrosporum folliculitis (PF) is a fungal acneiform disease of the hair follicles that often presents with pruritic papules and pustules on the upper body and face_. This condition is commonly mistaken for acne vulgaris and can be distinguished from bacterial acne by the presence of fungal spores in the follicular lumen_. Although studies have been performed to describe PF in cohorts, little work has been done to aggregate these data. Thus, the goal of this review is to describe the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of PF in immunocompetent patients. PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched using the terms "Pityrosporum folliculitis" or "Malassezia folliculitis." All cohorts reporting PF characteristics in patients classified as immunocompetent were reviewed. A total of 15 studies were included. Majority of patients were male (64%) with the average age of presentation of 24.26 years. The most common locations of lesions were the chest (70%) and back/shoulders (69.2%). Pruritus was reported by the majority of patients (71.7%). Additionally, 40.5% of patients reported a history of unsuccessful treatment regimens. Treatment was most successful with an oral antifungal (92%), followed by a topical antifungal (81.6%). In conclusion, majority of patients with PF were younger males. Many patients were primarily treated incorrectly, suggesting the importance of proper diagnosis. PF may be distinguishable from acne vulgaris by the presence of pruritus or suggested when a new acneiform eruption develops following antibiotic therapy or immunosuppression. When properly diagnosed, majority of cases of PF achieve complete response with oral or topical antifungals.