A 52-year-old man with recurrent metastatic rectal carcinoma being treated with cetuximab presented to the emergency department with a diffuse papulopustular eruption on the face, scalp, chest, and groin, accompanied by patchy alopecia of the scalp and facial hair. Keywords: cetuximab, epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor (EGFR inhibitor), cetuximab adverse effects Case synopsis A 52-year-old man with recurrent metastatic rectal carcinoma presented to the emergency department (ED) with

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... hrolithiasis and a diffuse pustular eruption. His prior treatments included colon resection, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy with oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin. Owing to his extensive metastatic disease and lack of a KRAS mutation, a second cycle of cetuximab was initiated three weeks prior to his presentation. Thus far, the patient had demonstrated a favorable response with lesion size reduction in both liver and pulmonary metastases. The eruption usually resolves without scarring once the EGFR-inhibitor is discontinued [7] . If a patient is interested in treatment, regimens are chosen based on the severity of the eruption, ranging from topical medications to oral antibiotics, in conjunction with antihistamines if pruritus is present [8] . Successful reported therapies include benzoyl peroxide, topical erythromycin [6], doxycycline, and minocycline [9], among others.