부산대학교 도서관

The drug hydroxyurea inhibits the production of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which carries the genetic information of the cell, and results in cytotoxicity or cell death. Hydroxyurea is used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia, a type of blood cancer, and psoriasis, a skin disease. The use of hydroxyurea over a long period of time for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia has been associated with skin reactions. These include dryness of the skin, hyperpigmentation or increased coloring of general or local areas of the skin, abnormalities of nails, skin ulcers with or without inflammation of the blood vessels in the skin, inflammation of the mouth, loss of hair, and changes in the horny layer of the skin on the soles of the feet. A case is described of a 55-year-old woman who developed skin reactions on her face, mouth and hands after taking hydroxyurea for treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Her skin changes resembled those of long-term dermatomyositis, a connective tissue disease characterized by fluid accumulation and inflammation of the skin and muscles, but laboratory tests on muscle tissue did not confirm a diagnosis of dermatomyositis. The hydroxyurea was withdrawn and other drugs were substituted, but the patient later died of an infection. The mechanism whereby hydroxyurea causes skin reactions is not known, but may be related to the ability of the drug to prevent DNA production of certain types of skin cells. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)