Minocycline-induced scleral, dental, and dermal pigmentation

PURPOSE: To report a case of scleral discoloration secondary to minocycline therapy. METHOD: Case report of a patient referred to a university based cornea and external disease clinic. RESULTS: The patient had been treated with oral minocycline therapy for adult facial acne for 12 years when she began to develop bilateral blue gray discoloration of the sclera as well as of the teeth, hard palate, ears, nail beds, and skin. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic systemic minocycline therapy may induce scleral pigmentary changes. The mechanism of discoloration and the long-term natural history upon cessation of minocycline are unclear. (C) 1998 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.