Case Report: Non-infectious causes of palmoplantar rashes, what to consider [version 1; referees: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]

• Main Authors: Rashmi Advani, Danit Arad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: F1000 Research Ltd 2018-01-01
• Series: F1000Research
• Online Access: https://f1000research.com/articles/7-46/v1

Background: Palm and sole skin eruptions have a broad differential diagnosis. It is particularly important to recognize common causes as well as their association with certain chemotherapy regimens such as Capecitabine. Case report: A 79-year-old woman presented with a painful rash on her hands and feet for 1 week. She had metastatic colon cancer and was in her third week of treatment with capecitabine. Her diagnosis was a medication side-effect from chemotherapy. Capecitabine was stopped and she had some clinical improvement over the next two days. She was discharged with oncology follow up for resumption of Capecitabine at a lower dose with improvement in her rash 3 weeks later.
 Discussion: Skin rashes are a commonly encountered complaint in patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting. It is important to maintain a broad differential diagnosis in those with rashes of the palmoplantar surfaces of the hands and feet. Recognizing skin changes as a possible manifestation of underlying malignancy or a medication side-effect is key in appropriate diagnosis and treatment.