Cystic acne due to imatinib therapy for chronic myelocytic leukemia.

Imatinib mesylate is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used in the treatment of several malignancies. Its use, however, is associated with a number of toxic effects including adverse cutaneous reactions. Herein, we present a case of facial cystic acne in a patient receiving imatinib therapy for chronic myelocytic leukemia. This side effect resolved with cessation of therapy. To the best of our knowledge, this clinical entity has never been previously reported in the medical literature.