Probable metformin-associated erythema multiforme: a case report and practical reference to causality assessment
Abstract
Metformin is a first-line therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus and is generally considered to have a favorable safety and tolerability profile. Although rare, cutaneous adverse reactions to metformin are diverse, with erythema multiforme (EM) being particularly uncommon. We report the case of a 51-year-old man who developed generalized targetoid skin lesions with scaling and mild pruritus ten days after initiating metformin (500 mg twice daily) for newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. He was also receiving aspirin and atorvastatin for an acute cerebral infarction (both previously used without allergic reactions). The rash completely resolved within two weeks after discontinuation of all oral medications. Aspirin and atorvastatin were safely reintroduced without recurrence, suggesting that metformin was the most likely causative agent. To the best of our knowledge, this is only the second report in the English-language literature specifically describing a metformin-associated erythema multiforme phenotype since the first case in 2004, with a causality assessment of "probable," further supporting that this drug can, on rare occasions, induce such a reaction. Moreover, this case liter provides a practical reference for drug discontinuation and differential diagnosis to identify the culprit agent in the setting of polypharmacy, thereby avoiding the unnecessary withdrawal of critical therapies due to misattribution.
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Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
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