Abstract

Background: Even though rivaroxaban has been mainly associated with hemorrhage-related adverse effects, rivaroxaban-induced skin necrosis has received less attention or went unrecognized. Little has been documented about hypersensitivity reactions caused by the treatment with rivaroxaban. Case Presentation: This paper reports a skin necrosis with an apparent similarity to skin adverse events caused by the different anticoagulants. It happened in a 30-year-old female patient during rivaroxaban treatment. The correlation of the skin lesions to the used drug was made by the act of repeated discontinuation and reuse of rivaroxaban and the noticed remission and exacerbation of skin necrosis. Conclusion: This case highlights the vigilance required by healthcare in recognizing potential adverse effects of newly marketed drugs and in making medication changes whenever necessary.

Key words: Rivaroxaban, adverse effects, anaphylaxis, hypersensitivity, skin necrosis.