A renal transplant patient who had been receiving immunosuppressive tr
eatment and ranitidine for one year developed ichthyosis after one mon
th of lovastatin therapy. The causes that may lead to the development
of dermatoses are discussed. The clinical condition in this case is mo
st likely attributable to lovastatin. Other cholesterol-lowering drugs
have reportedly been associated with acquired ichthyosis, but to our
knowledge this is the first report describing an association between a
cquired ichthyosis and lovastatin. The immunosuppressive treatment and
ranitidine are thought to be the other facilitating factors in the de
velopment of acquired ichthyosis.