Myxoid liposarcoma associated with adalimumab treatment: A case report

Biological agents that suppress inflammation, such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) inhibitors, are being successfully used at an increasing frequency for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as psoriasis. However, these drugs are not free of side effects, and although the general rates of malignancy in patients using anti-TNF-alpha therapies are not high, certain tumours of cutaneous origin, particularly carcinomas, have been reported. We herein present the case of a 47-year-old female patient with moderate-to-severe psoriasis for 20 years under treatment with adalimumab administered at the standard dose of 40 mg, injected subcutaneously each fortnight, with good efficacy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a low-grade (grade 1) myxoid liposarcoma in a patient receiving treatment with adalimumab since 2009. A review of the relevant literature was also conducted. Continuous investigation of such cases is crucial in order to elucidate the iatrogenic risk of rare cancers, such as myxoid liposarcoma, in patients undergoing treatment with currently available as well as future biological therapies.