Cutaneous side effects caused by treatment for inflammatory bowel disease

Treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has significantly changed the shape and efficiency over the last 20 years. Cutaneous lesions could be part of extraintestinal manifestations of these disorders (like erythema nodosum or pyoderma gangrenosum), can occur as consequence of specific vitamin and micronutrient deficiencies (zinc and iron deficiency), or as complications of the drugs that are used with the intention to control inflammation. In fact, treatment with these drugs can cause paradoxical inflammatory dermatoses. This article suggests how to recognize and treat cutaneous lesions that can occur during the treatment of IBD, especially how to diagnose them early (particularly skin cancer) and how to treat them most effectively with an emphasis on the importance of very close cooperation of gastroenterologists and dermatologists in the approach to these patients.