Dulce M. Barrios

Background The incidence of dermatologic infections in patients receiving checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) has not been systematically described. Objective Identify the incidence of dermatologic infections in patients who received CPIs. Methods Retrospective review of dermatologic infections in patients who received CPIs between 2005 and 2020 and were evaluated by dermatologists at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

As the incidence of cutaneous malignancies continues to rise and their treatment with immunotherapy expands, dermatologists and their patients are more likely to encounter immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have emerged as a pillar in the management of advanced malignancies. However, nonspecific immune activation may lead to immune-related adverse events, wherein the skin and its appendages are the most frequent targets. Cutaneous immune-related adverse events include a diverse group of inflammatory reactions, with maculopapular rash, pruritus, psoriasiform and lichenoid eruptions being the most prevalent subtypes.