Onset of psoriasis during therapy with fluoxetine

Abstract

Objective: Psoriasis is a commonly diagnosed skin disorder that requires a long-term management and can have a profound impact on the quality of life of patients. Drugs that have been associated with the precipitation or exacerbation of psoriasis include lithium, beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agents and antimalarials. Despite extensive use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in clinical practice, there have been very few reports of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-related psoriasis. The main purpose of this study was to report fluoxetine-induced psoriasis in two Chinese women.

Results and conclusion: Although both patients had been taking fluoxetine for an extended period of time, the time scale of these two case studies suggests that fluoxetine played a causative role in these patients' psoriasis.