Systematic review identifies specific medications significantly associated with drug-induced hyperpigmentation across diverse drug classes.

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the incidence of drug-induced hyperpigmentation (DIH) across a collection of twenty-two studies. The investigation focused on identifying which medications were significantly associated with this cutaneous adverse event, covering a range of therapeutic agents including tyrosine kinase inhibitors, MC4R agonists, antibiotics, and antineoplastic agents. The primary outcome measured was the overall pooled incidence of DIH, with stratification provided for specific drug classes to highlight varying risks.

The analysis revealed that tyrosine kinase inhibitors were associated with the highest incidence of hyperpigmentation, followed by MC4R agonists, antibiotics, antineoplastic agents, and antimalarials. The authors observed that the overall pooled incidence was substantial, though specific absolute numbers for individual cases were not reported in the source data. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring patients receiving these specific therapies for potential skin discoloration.

The authors note that the certainty of the evidence was not explicitly reported in the available data. Furthermore, the review does not provide details on discontinuations or serious adverse events related to the skin changes. Clinicians should interpret these associations as significant links rather than definitive proof of causality for every individual case. The practice relevance lies in recognizing high-risk medications to ensure prompt diagnosis and appropriate clinical management of DIH.