Multiple cutaneous necrotic lesions associated with Interferon beta-1b injection for multiple sclerosis treatment: A case report and literature review

Gita Faghihi; Akram Basiri; Mohsen Pourazizi; Bahareh Abtahi-Naeini; Ali Saffaei

doi:10.4103/2279-042X.155762

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CASE REPORT

Year : 2015 | Volume : 4 | Issue : 2 | Page : 99-103

Multiple cutaneous necrotic lesions associated with Interferon beta-1b injection for multiple sclerosis treatment: A case report and literature review

Gita Faghihi¹, Akram Basiri¹, Mohsen Pourazizi², Bahareh Abtahi-Naeini³, Ali Saffaei⁴
¹ Department of Dermatology, Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
² Students' Research Committee, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
³ Department of Dermatology, Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center, Students' Research Committee, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
⁴ Pharmacy Students' Research Committee, School of Pharmacy, Isfahan University of Medical sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Correspondence Address:
Bahareh Abtahi-Naeini
Department of Dermatology, Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center, Students' Research Committee, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan
Iran

Source of Support: Department of Dermatology, Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, Conflict of Interest: None

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DOI: 10.4103/2279-042X.155762

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and debilitating inflammatory autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system. MS patients may experience severe local inflammatory skin reactions during disease-modifying therapy with subcutaneously injected interferon-beta-1b (IFN-β). We report the case of a 49-year-old woman with relapsing-remitting MS, who developed multiple cutaneous necrotic ulcers on both arms and thighs after 3 months of treatment with subcutaneous IFN-β-1b. The biopsy specimens showed skin and subcutaneous tissue necrosis. We diagnosed the skin lesions as cutaneous necrotic ulcerations associated with IFN-β-1b injection. The treatment included ending the use of subcutaneously injected IFN-β-1b and switching to intramuscularly injected IFN-β-1a because of the multiple cutaneous necrotic ulcers. The injection of IFN-β-1b in the areas with lesions was stopped, and the patient's clinical condition improved with the addition of routine wound care, surgical debridement, and skin grafting. This report is intended to raise awareness about severe adverse skin reactions which may rarely occur with subcutaneous IFN-β-1b injection. Early recognition and correction of the injection technique and switching to other forms of interferon can help to prevent these complications.

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Interferon beta-1b; multiple sclerosis; necrotic cutaneous ulcer

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