Cutaneous Adverse Reactions to Hydroxyurea in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease

BACKGROUND Treatment with hydroxyurea may alleviate the symptoms of sickle cell disease (SCD). Because treatment with hydroxyurea may be responsible for several cutaneous side effects and is often lifelong in patients with SCD, we conducted this study to evaluate the risk of cutaneous adverse reactions in SCD patients treated with hydroxyurea. OBSERVATIONS Seventeen adult patients with SCD treated with hydroxyurea at one institution were examined by a dermatologist. Hydroxyurea was given for a mean of 3.04 years (range, 0.42-6.5 years). None of the patients had skin cancer, but 5 (29%) had disabling hydroxyurea-induced leg ulcers. Four of these 5 patients had a previous history of SCD ulcer, compared with none of the 12 patients without hydroxyurea-induced leg ulcers (P