Melatonin-Associated Facial Swelling in an Oncology Patient: Case Report and Review of Swelling of the Face in Individuals With Head and Neck Cancer

Facial swelling has several etiologies. In patients with head and neck malignancies, this can include primary disease progression or iatrogenic causes. A 66-year-old man presented with increased facial swelling and erythema for 18 months. He had a history of baseline postoperative facial lymphedema...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inCurēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 12; no. 10
Main Authors Patel, Ravi C, Kubicki, Shelby L, Cohen, Philip R, MacFarlane, Deborah F
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Palo Alto (CA) Cureus 09.10.2020
Subjects
Allergy/Immunology
Dermatology
Oncology
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Facial swelling has several etiologies. In patients with head and neck malignancies, this can include primary disease progression or iatrogenic causes. A 66-year-old man presented with increased facial swelling and erythema for 18 months. He had a history of baseline postoperative facial lymphedema following head and neck surgery and radiotherapy for desmoplastic melanoma approximately 20 years ago. However, his facial edema acutely worsened 18 months prior to presentation. A medication review revealed that he was regularly taking melatonin for the past two years. Approximately two weeks after cessation of melatonin therapy, the patient’s facial appearance returned to baseline. In conclusion, it is important for clinicians to perform a thorough medication review for patients with facial swelling and erythema.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.10866