[Dermatologic side effects with use of lithium].

UNLABELLED: Lithium is a mood stabilizer recommended by most clinical guidelines as the gold standard to prevent relapses in the treatment of Bipolar Affective Disorder. It is highly effective, but unfortunately, it causes adverse effects at several levels, including the skin.

AIM: To review the frequency, presentation, evolution, and management of adverse dermatologic effects caused by this drug.

METHODS

We performed a narrative review using Scielo, Web of Science (WoS), and Google Scholar search engines, using keywords in Spanish and English.

RESULTS

The skin presentations that appear most frequently are the progression of previously existing or newly diagnosed psoriasis, alopecia, acne, follicular inflammation, and maculopapular eruptions.

CONCLUSIONS

Lithium produces and/or exacerbates a series of dermatological conditions of different severity, even at therapeutic levels, which are not usually severe but, even so, should not be underestimated since it can affect adherence to the drug.