Clinical and experimental dermatology
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Clin. Exp. Dermatol. · Oct 2010
Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis due to anticonvulsants share certain clinical and laboratory features with drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome, despite differences in cutaneous presentations.
Drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS)/drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is characterized by late disease onset, fever, rash, hepatic dysfunction, haematological abnormalities, lymphadenopathy and often, human herpesvirus (HHV) reactivation. The diagnosis of DIHS is based on the combined presence of these findings. Anticonvulsants are a major cause of DIHS and may also cause Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). We examined whether SJS/TEN due to anticonvulsants display similar clinical and laboratory features seen in DIHS. ⋯ TSJS/TEN due to anticonvulsants may exhibit some clinical and laboratory features of DIHS. The nature of the cutaneous involvement should be emphasized in the diagnosis of DIHS.