Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Case reports describe kratom's association with hyperpigmentation in users, suggesting a unique skin pattern.
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a commonly used over-the-counter supplement with opioid-like and dopaminergic activity. Cutaneous side effects have been incompletely characterized; only limited case reports describe its associated hyperpigmentation. We describe two cases of kratom-induced photodistributed brown-gray patches with biopsies that show circular, orange-brown granules in the dermis that stain positive with Fontana-Masson and negative for iron. In conjunction with existing literature, our cases suggest a possible distinct clinicopathologic pattern for which kratom use can be suspected.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Friedland et al. (2026) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: