ABSTRACT
Aims: Decitabine is a drug for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia. It has a side-effect profile affecting many systems, including dermatologic side effects. Herein, we report a case with a maculopapular-type drug eruption due to decitabine. Presentation of Case: A 51-year-old previously healthy woman was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome RAEB-1, and decitabine [20mg/m2/day/i.v (5 days with cycles repeated every 28 days)] chemotherapy was given. On the seventh day of the second treatment cycle, we diagnosed a maculopapular eruption on the front of the left arm. The patient presented with skin that was itchy, puffy, maculopapular and erythematous. The rash faded when pressed and tended to coalesce with each other, indicating a drug eruption due to decitabine. Maculopapular type drug reaction depending on decitabine was considered. The eruption improved remarkably within 10 days, and the patient's rash had disappeared by the 17th day of treatment. Discussion: Drugs occasionally induce cutaneous side effects. Ecchymosis, rash, erythema, petechiae skin lesion and pruritus have been described in decitabine’s prospectus. Maculopapular eruptions can affect all age groups. This type of eruption is common with certain drugs as well as with several diseases and medical conditions including scarlet fever, measles, rubella, secondary syphilis, parvovirus B19 and heat rash. A number of drugs may cause the appearance of maculopapular eruptions. Conclusion: Practitioners should be aware of this rare, but potentially serious, adverse event, especially as decitabine is commonly used for myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Thrombocytopenia is the situation where the number of thrombocytes is less than 150.000/ μL. This may result due to decreased thrombocyte production, increase in the destruction of thrombocytes and differentiation in distribution of thrombocytes. Hereditary and acquired diseases both contribute to the condition, but the acquired reasons are more common in older patients. In this study we aimed to present the patients’ data with thrombocytopenia in the eastern Turkey and the underlying diseases that cause thrombocytopenia in order to contribute to literature. Material and Methods: In this study, we retrospectively aimed to evaluate the etiology of thrombocytopenia at 1012 patients who admitted to Inonu University Medical Faculty Turgut Ozal Medical Center Hematology outpatient clinic, hematology service, emergency department and the ones who were consulted from other departments in the hospital. We collected data of patients for whom we searched the aetiology of thrombocytopenia as Department of Hematology. Results: Total of 1012 patients, of whom 508 were female and 504 were male, were included to the study. The mean age was 51±20 years. The mean number of the thrombocytes was 64.28±43.05 /mL. The mean number of leucocytes was 13.89±32.71 /μL. The mean level of hemoglobin was 11.22±3.03 g/dL. Leukaemia, infections and the immune thrombocytopenias represented most of the cases, and the other reasons of thrombocytopenia were drugs, chronic liver diseases, megaloblastic anemias, pseudothrombocytopenia, thrombotic microangiopathies and other diseases. Conclusion: The reasons of thrombocytopenia may differ according to geographic distribution and step level of health centers. It’s an expected situation for thrombocytopenia reasons that the high rate of infections can be accused in developing countries and malignant diseases to be the first reason in developed countries.