Acanthosis nigricans caused by nicotinic acid: case report and review of the literature.

Drug-induced acanthosis nigricans has been reported in the literature. We present a patient with familial combined hyperlipidemia who developed nicotinic-acid-induced acanthosis nigricans. The literature on the cutaneous side effects of nicotinic acid as well as on the medications that can cause acanthosis nigricans is reviewed. Some hypotheses on the pathogenesis of nicotinic-acid-induced acanthosis are presented.