Paradoxical exacerbation of chronic plaque psoriasis by sorafenib

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antagonists have been investigated as a potential treatment for psoriasis, but there have been reports of VEGF antagonists triggering and/or exacerbating pre-existing psoriasis. We present the case of a 61-year old-man with exacerbation of pre-existing psoriasis after treatment with sorafenib, a small molecule inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase domain of the VEGF receptor, and we review the literature for other published cases of sorafenib-induced or sorafenib-exacerbated psoriasis. Clinicians, including both dermatologists and oncologists, should be aware of this potential side-effect of sorafenib in addition to the other cutaneous side effects reported for this drug.