Carbamazepine and Hyperpigmentation in a Young Woman: A Case Report

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an effective and first-line treatment for trigeminal neuralgia and has a key place in the management of epilepsy and bipolar disorder. There is the possibility of clinically important drug interactions because CBZ may induce the hepatic metabolism of other drugs or, conversely, other drugs may induce or inhibit CBZ metabolism. The drug is a member of a big group of antiepileptic drugs that are widely used to prevent and control seizures. It has been associated with several cutaneous side effects. In this case, we report a young woman who presented with dyspnea, weight loss, pancytopenia, abdominal pain, oligomenorrhea, and two weeks history of hyperpigmented lesions over her face, neck, and two hands. She had a history of seizures and did well on carbamazepine for the last 7 months. Carbamazepine was discontinued and she was treated with local emollients. The lesions were partially improved in 2 weeks.