• Yung-Tsu Cho, Jheng-Wei Lin, Yi-Chun Chen, Chia-Ying Chang, Cheng-Hsiang Hsiao, Wen-Hung Chung, and Chia-Yu Chu.
• Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
• J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 2014 Mar 1; 70 (3): 539-48.

BackgroundGeneralized bullous fixed drug eruption (GBFDE), a particular form of fixed drug eruption (FDE), is characterized by widespread blisters and erosions and can be confused with Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).ObjectiveWe sought to analyze specific features of GBFDE and differentiate it from SJS/TEN.MethodsWe retrospectively studied patients with GBFDE and SJS/TEN during a period of 10 years. GBFDE was defined as typical FDE lesions with blisters involving at least 10% body surface area on at least 3 of 6 different anatomic sites. Clinical presentations; histopathological features; immunohistochemical patterns of cluster-of-differentiation (CD)3, CD4, CD8, CD56, Fas, Fas ligand, granzyme B, perforin, granulysin, and forkhead box P3 (Foxp3); and serum granulysin levels were compared.ResultsTwenty-three cases of GBFDE were collected. Patients with GBFDE had shorter latent periods, less mucosal involvement, more eosinophil infiltration, and dermal melanophages. Lesional infiltrates in GBFDE had more dermal CD4(+) cells including Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells, fewer intraepidermal CD56(+) cells, and fewer intraepidermal granulysin(+) cells. The serum level of granulysin in GBFDE was also significantly lower than in SJS/TEN.LimitationsThe number of cases in this study is small.ConclusionGBFDE is a distinct disease distinguishable from SJS/TEN by particular features such as granulysin, CD56, and Foxp3 expressions.Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

45 keywords...

hide…