Alexia Hermitte-Gandoliere1, Nadine Petitpain2, Marion Lepelley3, Laure Thomas4, Christine Le Beller5, Jacqueline Ponte Astoul6, Pierre Gillet7. 1. Service de pharmacie, hôpital de Mercy, CHR de Metz-Thionville, 57085 Metz, France. 2. Centre régional de pharmacovigilance de Nancy, CHRU de Nancy, 54035 Nancy, France. Electronic address: n.petitpain@chru-nancy.fr. 3. Centre régional de pharmacovigilance de Grenoble, CHU de Grenoble, 38043 Grenoble, France. 4. Centre régional de pharmacovigilance, CHU Henri-Mondor, 94010 Créteil, France. 5. Centre régional de pharmacovigilance, hôpital européen Georges-Pompidou, 75015 Paris, France. 6. Centre régional de pharmacovigilance de Marseille, CHU de Marseille, 13009 Marseille, France. 7. Centre régional de pharmacovigilance de Nancy, CHRU de Nancy, 54035 Nancy, France.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Intravenous iron infusion may be complicated by extravasation and lead to cutaneous pigmentation. METHODS: We queried the French pharmacovigilance database to assess the spontaneously reported cases over the 2000-2016 period. RESULTS: Fifty-one cases of cutaneous pigmentation related to intravenous iron extravasation were retrieved, none was associated to necrosis. Most of patients were women aged 20 to 49 years old. The pigmentation was mostly a brown coloration, persisting over one month in 19 cases (37.2%) and over 6 months in 9 cases (17.6%). The management of extravasation and pigmentation was heterogeneous and was rarely followed by a decrease of the coloration. CONCLUSION: Cutaneous pigmentation after intravenous iron extravasation can persist over time and create an aesthetic prejudice, particularly in young women. Standardized extravasation and iron-induced pigmentation management procedures appear necessary.
INTRODUCTION: Intravenous iron infusion may be complicated by extravasation and lead to cutaneous pigmentation. METHODS: We queried the French pharmacovigilance database to assess the spontaneously reported cases over the 2000-2016 period. RESULTS: Fifty-one cases of cutaneous pigmentation related to intravenous iron extravasation were retrieved, none was associated to necrosis. Most of patients were women aged 20 to 49 years old. The pigmentation was mostly a brown coloration, persisting over one month in 19 cases (37.2%) and over 6 months in 9 cases (17.6%). The management of extravasation and pigmentation was heterogeneous and was rarely followed by a decrease of the coloration. CONCLUSION:Cutaneous pigmentation after intravenous iron extravasation can persist over time and create an aesthetic prejudice, particularly in young women. Standardized extravasation and iron-induced pigmentation management procedures appear necessary.