Chemotherapy-associated tongue hyperpigmentation and blue lunula.

Abstract

Combination chemotherapy is associated with cutaneous and mucosal side effects. Antineoplastic agents have been associated with mucosal and nail pigmentation. We describe a 16-year-old Saudi Arabian girl with combination chemotherapy-associated black tongue hyperpigmentation and blue lunula. The diagnosis of drug-associated pigmentary changes is based on correlating the onset of the clinical observations with the temporal initiation of the patient's chemotherapy agents. Spontaneous fading of antineoplastic therapy-induced tongue or nail dyschromia may subsequently occur following discontinuation of the causative drug.