Severely complicated ear infection in a patient treated with ixekizumab: a case report

We report a case of a severe ear infection in a 35-year-old man treated with ixekizumab for psoriasis. Ixekizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively prevents the interaction between interleukin 17 A and its receptor. Biologicals like ixekizumab are used to achieve symptom relief in autoimmune diseases including psoriasis. Unlike the mild upper respiratory tract infections usually described as side-effects of this treatment, we report a case of a patient who presented with a severe otitis media, complicated with a facial paresis and nasopharyngeal abscess. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case presenting a severe, complicated ear infection as a possible side effect of ixekizumab. We conclude that when using ixekizumab, vigilance for upper airway infections is needed and if necessary, interruption of therapy should be considered. However, further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis.