Iododerma after Lugol use for pre-operative preparation of thyroidectomy

Abstract

A 35-year-old man with hyperthyroidism reported the sudden occurrence of ulcerated and painful oral lesions, painful ulcerative-necrotic lesions on the face, trunk, upper and lower limbs and purpuric circinate lesions on the scalp, 6 days after starting the treatment with oral iodine. The clinical history, cutaneous-mucosal lesions, and histopathological findings support the diagnosis of iododerma secondary to oral iodine treatment. Iododerma is a rare disease caused by iodine exposure that can develop after oral or intravenous use, rarely after topical use of iodine and is often associated with systemic manifestations related to vasculitis, which can be fatal, as in the present case.