• A D East-Innis and D S Thompson.
• Section of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, The University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica, West Indies. althea.eastinnis@uwimona.edu.jm.
• W Indian Med J. 2013 Sep 1;62(7):589-92.

ObjectiveStevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis are uncommon acute dermatologic disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency, aetiology and outcome of cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis admitted to the dermatology ward at the University Hospital of the West Indies.MethodsThis was a retrospective study looking at all patients who were admitted with a diagnosis of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis overlap syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis over a nine-year period.ResultsThe results showed almost equal numbers of males and females. The drugs most commonly implicated were phenytoin and cotrimoxazole. The most common complications were hepatic impairment and ophthalmic complications.ConclusionStevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality of patients on the dermatology ward although mortality was low compared to other studies.

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