Anti-PD-1 therapy is associated with the development of immune-related cutaneous events. Lichenoid reactions, eczema, and vitiligo are the 3 most prevalent lesions observed in our population. There is a tendency for lichenoid reactions and eczema to occur with vitiligo.

The innovative blockade of immune checkpoints with targeted immunotherapies, such as monoclonal antibodies against programmed cell death-1, is pioneering the treatment for advanced melanoma. Potential adverse events of particular interest associated with immunotherapy are of an inflammatory or immune-related nature. Reported dermatological side effects mostly comprise nonspecific rash and pruritus. This is a report of a 75-year-old man with metastatic melanoma who was initially administered pembrolizumab at 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks. He developed spongiotic dermatitis that was partially treated with topical steroids after cycle 3. Pembrolizumab cycles were stopped because of disease progression after cycle 6. On the 30-day follow-up, the patient presented with extensive erythematous papules and plaques, in addition to a few intact and ruptured vesicles and bullae over the upper and lower limbs, especially over the knees and elbows. Both punch skin biopsies (haematoxylin and eosin and direct immunofluorescence studies) confirmed a bullous pemphigoid diagnosis. He was treated with a tapering dose of oral prednisone, resulting in rapid clinical improvement after only a week of treatment, which was switched to dexamethasone following the diagnosis of new brain metastases.

Agminated melanocytic nevus is an uncommon type of mole, characterized by a local group of macular or papular pigmented lesions, well demarcated, without a common pigmented background. This pattern has also been associated with Spitz nevi, dysplastic melanocytic nevi, and non-melanocytic lesions.We describe the onset of an acquired agminated melanocytic nevus after dabrafenib treatment. Our case highlights paradoxical MAPK activation in the setting of single-agent BRAF blockade and underscores the importance of characterizing the diverse side effects of selective BRAF inhibitors. This is the first case, to our knowledge, of agminated melanocytic nevus in association with dabrafenib.

Anti-programmed cell death 1 (anti-PD1) antibodies such as pembrolizumab have shown improved progression-free and overall survival in patients with advanced melanoma. Of 124 patients reviewed in Westmead Hospital from May 2012 to November 2015, treated with pembrolizumab for advanced melanoma, we encountered three cases of bullous pemphigoid (BP). We have previously reported a case of BP. In two recent cases, BP was diagnosed early and treated promptly with potent topical or oral steroid. Patients on anti-PD1 antibodies are at a higher risk of developing cutaneous immune-related adverse events such as lichenoid reactions, eczema and vitiligo. No cases of BP were encountered in the previously published cohort of 260 melanoma patients treated with BRAF inhibitors; as such, it appears that BP is associated with anti-PD1 treatment rather than metastatic melanoma. BP appears to be another immune-related adverse event, and clinicians should have a low threshold for performing cutaneous biopsies and immunofluorescence studies in patients on anti-PD1 therapies.

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Panniculitis is a rare complication of BRAF inhibitor therapy that is used to treat patients with BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma. We present a clinicopathologic review of 9 patients who developed panniculitis while on BRAF inhibitor therapy. In 13% of patients on vemurafenib, 3% of patients on dabrafenib and 10% on combination of dabrafenib + trametinib, tender erythematous nodular lesions of panniculitis appeared on legs, arms and trunk. Histological evaluation of 8 biopsies from 7 patients showed predominantly neutrophilic infiltrate in 4, lymphocytic in 1, and mixed in 3. Lesions with neutrophilic infiltrate appeared in earlier stages of treatment than those with mixed or lymphocytic infiltrate. All biopsies showed lobular involvement and 5 also had a septal component. In addition, 1 biopsy had lichenoid inflammation in the epidermis and the other had evidence of vasculitis. Most patients responded to conservative medical management without the need to reduce or to stop BRAF inhibitor therapy. Panniculitis seems to be a rare class effect of BRAF inhibitors that is predominantly lobular and neutrophilic, although other patterns can be seen.

Vitiligo-like depigmentation (VLD) is a characteristic cutaneous event described in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma receiving treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. We report the onset of VLD in three patients with other cancer types (cholangiocarcinoma, renal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) following treatment with immunotherapy (combination pembrolizumab and nivolumab for the first, and pembrolizumab for the other two cancer types). Cases of VLD have not been reported previously in patients treated for any of these cancers, to our knowledge. Pembrolizumab and nivolumab are monoclonal antibodies targeting programmed cell death (PD)-1 receptors, while ipilimumab targets cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4. Our clinical finding challenges the current understanding of VLD as a malignant melanoma-specific immunotherapy-related adverse event.

To date, cutaneous toxicities of combination therapies of anti-programmed death-1 (anti-PD1) and ipilimumab are poorly described. Understanding cutaneous presentations will aid clinicians with early diagnoses and treatments. We aim to describe and compare the cutaneous toxicities between the combination therapies and anti-PD1 monotherapy. This is a cohort study comparing previously published data on 82 patients with metastatic melanoma on anti-PD1 monotherapy, with a new group of 25 patients with metastatic melanoma receiving combined ipilimumab and pembrolizumab between January 2015 to February 2016. A single institution, internal referrals were received from medical oncology teams from May 2012 to February 2015 for the anti-PD1 monotherapy group and from January 2015 to February 2016 for combination group. All patients who were treated with either anti-PD1 therapy or combination therapies during the timeframe within the institution were included in the study. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to illustrate the time taken to develop cutaneous toxicities in the monotherapy and combination groups. Of the 25 patients, 88% developed new cutaneous lesions since the treatment. Immune-related lesions; lichenoid reaction (64%) and vitiligo (28%) were the most frequent. The incidence of lichenoid reaction increased rapidly in the early phase of treatment. Approximately one-third developed their first lichenoid reaction within 12 days of commencing treatment in combination group compared to 14 months in the anti-PD1 monotherapy. The rate of incidence of vitiligo was comparable in both groups. There was no statistical significance in the development of cutaneous toxicities and the treatment response between the two groups. The time taken to develop immune-related cutaneous toxicities was shorter for those on combination therapy versus anti-PD1 monotherapy.