Well-known cutaneous side effects of interferon (IFN)-alfa therapy include dry skin, pruritus, hair loss, and psoriasis. Presumably because of its potent immunomodulatory activity, the use of IFN-alfa has also led to the development of autoimmune diseases in susceptible individuals. Vitiligo, an autoimmune cutaneous disease, has been reported to occur during IFN-alfa therapy. We report a 10-year-old girl with chronic hepatitis B infection in whom IFN-alfa treatment induced de novo development of vitiligo and psoriasis. Neither skin condition improved after withdrawal of interferon treatment. Concomitant occurrence of vitiligo and psoriasis due to IFN-alfa has not been reported previously.
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Seçkin et al. (2004) studied this question.
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