Ruxolitinib found to cause eyelash growth : a case report

Journal of Medical Case Reports

Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a rare hematologic disorder in which the eosinophils proliferate. The eosinophils infiltrate and damage multiple organs. Without treatment, the condition is fatal, usually due to cardiac dysfunction, particularly left ventricular dysfunction. Causes of reactive eosinophilia include allergic and hypersensitivity reactions, drug allergies, cytokine therapy (recombinant human interleukin), cutaneous disorders, connective tissue diseases, collagen vascular disorders, parasitic infections, immunodeficiency disorders, sarcoidosis, and neoplasms, such as Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Various hematopoietic neoplasms that demonstrate blood eosinophilis are B-cell / T-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, chronic myeloproliferative disorders (chronic: chronic myelogenous leukemia, chronic eosinophilic leukemia, systemic mast cell disease; acute: acute myeo-monocytic leukemia (AML) with eosinophilia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia with eosinophilia, and other myeloid leukemias). Ruxolitinib is approved for myelofibrosis (MF) and is effective in reducing splenomegaly. The medication is off-label for HES but has been reported to be successful in eosinophilic leukemia. Ruxolitinib (Jakafi®) has been reported to aid in refractory alopecia areata. Our patient noted that his eyelashes grew significantly. This is the first case in which eyelash growth has been reported. [..more]