Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with serum sickness-like reaction

Serum sickness-like reaction to D-supplement: a case report

BACKGROUND

Serum Sickness-Like Reaction (SSLR) is an immune response characterized by rash, polyarthralgias, inflammation, and fever. Serum sickness-like reaction is commonly attributed to antibiotics, anticonvulsants, and anti-inflammatory agents.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 16-year-old female with a history of overactive bladder and anemia presented with a diffuse urticarial rash, headaches, joint pain, and swelling for three days. Her medications included oral contraceptive pills, iron, mirabegron, UQora, and a probiotic. Physical examination revealed a diffuse urticarial rash, and her musculoskeletal exam revealed swelling and tenderness in her wrists. She was evaluated by her pediatrician and started on a 7-day course of prednisone, as well as antihistamines. Her CBC, basic metabolic panel, liver function panel, Lyme titers, and urinalysis were all within normal limits. With concern for hypersensitivity reaction to medication, all medications were discontinued. Nine days after symptom onset, the patient was evaluated by an allergist, who confirmed her presentation was consistent with serum sickness-like reaction. Her symptoms resolved, and her medications were re-introduced sequentially over several months. Restarting UQora, however, triggered a recurrence of her symptoms, and it was identified as the culprit medication. Consequently, UQora was permanently discontinued, and the patient has remained symptom-free.

CONCLUSIONS

This case report describes the first documented case of serum sickness-like reaction caused by UQora (active ingredient D-mannose). D-mannose is a monosaccharide, and it is frequently promoted to prevent urinary tract infections. While the clinical features and timeline in this case were typical of serum sickness-like reaction, UQora as the trigger was highly unusual. Clinicians should be aware of the diverse triggers of serum sickness-like reaction and the importance of prompt identification and management to enhance patient safety. Further research is necessary to better understand the potential therapeutic applications of D-mannose, as well as the potential risks and interactions.

Case Report of Serum Sickness-like Reaction following the First Dose of the Chimpanzee Adenovirus-Vectored AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine, ChAdOx1

Serum sickness-like reaction from serum sickness is critical. Serum sickness-like reaction has comparable symptoms to serum sickness, but their underlying pathophysiology is distinct. This delayed hypersensitivity response was first characterized as a drug-induced reaction and is uncommon in adults; it is more common in children. COVID-19 vaccinations are now being routinely given in the COVID-19 period, and adverse reactions to immunization have been recorded. We present a case of COVID-19 vaccination-induced serum sickness-like reaction which developed after receiving the first dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Skin testing might have a diagnostic role in immune complex-mediated hypersensitivity reactions

Clinical applications of skin testing are known to help diagnose IgE-mediated and T-cell-mediated delayed cutaneous reactions. By contrast, drug-induced immune complex-mediated vasculitis is primarily diagnosed based on medical history, clinical setting and laboratory evidence of immune-complex formation, as there are no proven methods to identify the suspect culprit. We report three cases of drug- or biologic-induced immune complex-mediated vasculitis, in which the culprit agents could be confirmed by a positive intradermal test with later reading (between 12 and 24 h after the test), with verification by immunohistochemical or immunofluorescent results. The findings of our study suggest that skin tests with a delayed reading could have a potential role in diagnosing some instances of immune complex-mediated hypersensitivity reactions.

Serum Sickness-Like Reaction Associated with Epstein – Barr Virus: Clinical Case

Background. Annular dermatoses are a group of diseases with major clinical manifestation of rashes of relevant form. This manifestation pattern causes difficulties in diagnosis. The case of rarely diagnosed annular dermatosis is presented: serum siknesslike reaction (SSLR) triggered by the Epstein – Barr virus (EBV). Clinical case description. Patient D., 8 years old girl, noted abdominal pain 3 weeks before hospitalization, and later numerous polymorphic rashes (erythematous macules, urticarial elements), swelling and pain in joints. Self-treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and systemic antihistamines did not lead to any improvement. The patient was hospitalized in the pediatric department at the place of residence, where the diagnosis “Henoch-Schonlein purpura, mixed type” was established according to the results of physical, laboratory (double increase of ALT and AST, ESR up to 166 mm/h, IgM to EBV), and ultrasound (mesenteric lymph nodes hyperplasia) studies. Systemic glucocorticosteroids have led to improvement, however, few days after the end of the treatment there was relapse of rash and arthralgia. Thus, the girl was administrated to clinical diagnostic center. Patient’s general condition was satisfactory at the time of examination. There were numerous erythematous annular urticarial and macular elements (3–12 cm) on the skin of face, body and limbs. Some foci, as well as some resolved rashes had blue spots with indistinct boundaries that disappeared after compression. Mucous membranes, nails and hair were intact. Subjective symptoms — slight burning around rashes, at palpation — low-intensity pain in the left radiocarpal joint. Blood tests: C-reactive protein concentration increased up to 12 mg/L, ESR up to 26 mm/h, IgG to EBV up to 47.7. Conclusion. During differential diagnosis we should consider the possibility of SSLR development in all pediatric patients with annular rashes associated with arthralgia and/or arthritis, fever, history of drug use (most often beta-lactam antibiotics), recent vaccination or manifestations of viral infection, especially in case of cyanotic spots after rashes resolution and non-specific laboratory parameters.

Distinct Characteristics and Chronology of Amoxicillin-Associated Reactions in Pediatric Acute Care Settings

BACKGROUND

Amoxicillin-associated reactions (AARs) in children presenting as rashes are common, and recent data suggest that >90% tolerate amoxicillin on re-exposure. However, additional data would help pediatricians and allergists gain confidence in referring and testing children who experienced systemic symptoms perceived as "worrisome," thus leading to urgent medical evaluations. By characterizing the entire spectrum of AAR symptoms in pediatric patients presenting to emergency department (ED)/urgent care (UC) settings, we sought to increase our diagnostic acumen to guide subsequent allergy evaluations.

OBJECTIVE

To fully characterize clinical features of rash and systemic symptoms in children presenting to the ED/UC with AARs.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review of children seen in the ED/UC from July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2017, was conducted. Clinical features, chronology, and seasonality were detailed, and cases were classified into 3 previously described AAR phenotypes: maculopapular exanthem (MPE), urticaria, and serum sickness-like reactions (SSLRs), if they experienced joint symptoms.

RESULTS

Children (n = 668; median age: 1.8 years) presented to the ED/UC with urticaria (44%), MPE (36%), and SSLRs (11%) typically on days 7 to 10 of amoxicillin. Although children with SSLRs were more frequently treated with corticosteroids (28%, P < .0001) and exhibited higher rates of "worrisome" features (fever, angioedema, or gastrointestinal symptoms; 73%, P < .0001), delayed-onset systemic symptoms were identified frequently in all 3 groups. ED/UC reutilization was unexpectedly high with 66 children (10%) returning to the ED/UC for re-evaluation.

CONCLUSION

"Worrisome" symptoms are common in children presenting to the ED/UC with AARs. Future studies are needed to determine the impact on subsequent referral and allergy testing.

Annular urticarial lesions

Annular urticarial configurations are often associated with acute and chronic urticaria. Such lesions may be short-lived, migratory, transient, pruritic, and resolving with no residual evidence, making the diagnosis of urticaria an obvious one. Annular urticarial lesions can be the presenting signs of various cutaneous and systemic diseases. The differentiation of urticarial lesions may be made by considering the duration of an individual lesion longer than 24 hours, with burning and pain sensation in the lesions or lack of pruritus; skin marks such as postinflammatory pigmentation or purpura after resolution of the lesions; associated scaling or vehiculation in the lesions; systemic symptoms such as arthralgia, fever or fatigue; and several abnormal laboratory findings. The main differential diagnoses of annular urticarial lesions include urticarial vasculitis, autoinflammatory syndromes, hypersensitivity reactions, and connective tissue diseases.

Paediatric serum sickness-like reaction: A 10-year retrospective cohort study

Background

Serum sickness-like reaction (SSLR) is an acute inflammatory condition affecting predominantly children. The pathophysiology remains unclear, but drugs are considered the main trigger.

Objective

The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and laboratory features, triggers, and treatment modalities in children diagnosed with SSLR.

Methods

We conducted a 10-year retrospective cohort study including all paediatric patients (0 to 18 years old) with query SSLR referred to the Adverse Drug Reactions Clinic at the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario. Diagnostic criteria included acute skin rash plus joint inflammation with or without fever.

Results

We included 83 patients (47 females). Age ranged from 11 months to 12 years (mean 3.2 years). Amoxicillin was the trigger in 82.7% of patients. The mean time between the exposure to the triggering drug and the development of the symptoms was 8.5 days. Urticaria-like and Erythema multiforme-like lesions were present in 35% and 38.5% of the cases, respectively. Joint inflammation affecting hands/feet was present in 60%. Pruritus, lip/eye swelling, and fever were reported in 33, 31, and 45% of patients, respectively. The lymphocyte toxicity assay (LTA) showed incremental T-cell toxicity in 32 of 34 patients. Children that received treatment with antihistamines/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) plus oral steroids had a mean recovery time shorter than those treated only with antihistamines/NSAIDs (6 versus 8 days; P=0.09).

Conclusions

In our study, SSLR was mostly triggered by amoxicillin and had a mean time presentation of 8.5 days. Further prospective and well-conducted studies are needed.

Breast implant seroma: A SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine side effect

Fluid collection surrounding breast implants, called seroma, is a frequent issue that has diverse etiologies. We describe a 48-year-old woman with an acute onset of bilateral breast swelling occurring 5 years after aesthetic surgery and 10 days after a second SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine dose. At breast ultrasound, we found an abundant bilateral peri-implant seroma. Our patient noticed symptom improvement 48 h after nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug treatment, complete disappearance of symptoms after 10 days with seroma disappearance documented by ultrasound. We hypothesized a breast implant seroma as post-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine side effect, as different other diagnosis had been excluded.

Does inflammation link stress to poor COVID-19 outcome?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to ravage communities across the world. Despite its primary effect on the respiratory system, the virus does not solely impact those with underlying lung conditions as initially predicted. Indeed, prognosis is worsened (often fatal) in patients with pre-existing hyperinflammatory responses (e.g., hypertension, obesity and diabetes), yet the mechanisms by which this occurs are unknown. A number of psychological conditions are associated with inflammation, suggesting that these may also be significant risk factors for negative outcomes of COVID-19. In this review, we evaluate preclinical and clinical literature suggesting that chronic stress-induced hyperinflammation interacts synergistically with COVID-19-related inflammation, contributing to a potentially fatal cytokine storm syndrome. In particular, we hypothesize that both chronic stress and COVID-19-related hyperinflammation are a product of glucocorticoid insufficiency. We discuss the devastating effects of SARS-CoV-2 on structural and functional aspects of the biological stress response and how these induce exaggerated inflammatory responses, particularly interleukin (IL)-6 hypersecretion. We postulate that chronic stress should be considered a significant risk factor for adverse COVID-19-related health outcomes, given overlapping peripheral and central immune dysregulation in both conditions. We conclude by discussing how people with a history of chronic stress could mitigate their risk for COVID-19 complications, identifying specific strategies that can be implemented during self-isolation.

Serum sickness-like reactions in Iranian children: a registry-based study in a referral center

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Considering that no studies have been done on a comprehensive review of Serum sickness-like reactions patients (SSLRs) at a referral center in Iran so far, this study aimed to determine the clinical and laboratory characteristics of children with SSRL in Tehran Children's Medical Center.

PATIENTS

The present study was a registry-based study in which the data of 94 SSLRs patients registered in a two-year period were investigated. Confirmation of fever, rash, urticaria, arthralgia / arthritis and history of antibiotic consumption up to three weeks before were the criteria for the diagnosis.

RESULTS

Fifty-one (54 %) patients were male with mean age of 56 ± 30 months and there was no significant difference in the age of the two genders. The mean onset of symptoms before hospitalization were 3.8 ± 2.7 days (1-14 days); this mean was significantly higher in males than in females (4.6 ± 2.9 versus 2.9 ± 1.7 days, P-value = 0.003). Among antibiotics, Co-amoxiclav and Cefixime antibiotics had the most frequency by 31 % and 33 %, respectively as the most important incidence factor of SSLRs. The mean duration of consumption of culprit medications in the incidence of SSLRs was 5.6 ± 2.9 days with a range of 1-15 days.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that among the antibiotics, Co-amoxiclav and Cefixime are more prevalent and a review of prescribing these two antibiotics for the treatment of the children's infections is essential if this finding is confirmed by other Iranian scholars.

Cutaneous drug eruptions including serum sickness-like reaction, symmetrical drug-related intertriginous and flexural exanthema, and drug-induced lupus

Cutaneous manifestations of drug reactions are common yet vary widely in their appearance and degree of internal organ involvement. Serum sickness--like reactions, symmetrical drug-related intertriginous and flexural exanthem, granulomatous drug eruption, pseudolymphoma, and drug-induced lupus are medication-induced conditions with dermatologic presentations. Many of the conditions discussed are relatively rare but nonetheless demand our attention and understanding. Some of the conditions presented may be more likely encountered in the hospital setting, as is the case with serum sickness-like reactions and drug-induced lupus, whereas others may present to outpatient clinic for diagnosis. Given the similarities in clinical history of patients presenting with these conditions, an understanding of the clinical presentation, pathophysiology, culprit medications, histologic appearance, and serologic characteristics is warranted to correctly diagnose and manage these uncommon adverse reactions. We also discuss how to differentiate some of these conditions from more serious mimickers, as in the case of pseudolymphoma drug reaction mimicking a true lymphoma and drug-induced lupus mimicking acute systemic lupus erythematosus.

Pediatric drug eruptions

Drug eruptions in children are common but in general less studied than their adult counterparts. Aside from having significant impact on the child's health and quality of life, these reactions can limit what medications the patient can receive in the future. Familiarity with pediatric drug eruptions is important for accurate diagnosis and to prevent future recurrence or ineffective therapy. Our current understanding of how drug reactions differ mechanistically between children and adults is poor. There are multiple factors that could be contributing to the differing incidence, presentation, and treatment modalities offered to pediatric versus adult patients. For many of these cutaneous drug reactions, the treatment regime is not standardized, being based primarily on case reports. Although not comprehensive, this review highlights common pediatric drug eruption patterns and discuss diagnostic mimickers. Five cutaneous adverse drug reactions in the pediatric population are presented: morbilliform (exanthematous) eruptions, urticarial eruptions, serum sickness-like reactions, fixed drug eruptions, and DRESS syndrome. Clinical features, diagnostic workup, and management are discussed with an emphasis on the pediatric population.

Clinical Phenotypes of Severe Cutaneous Drug Hypersensitivity Reactions

Drug hypersensitivity reactions are clinically heterogenous ranging from mild to severe. Most drug hypersensitivity reactions are accompanied by cutaneous manifestations. Fever, mucous membrane involvement, large blisters, facial oedema, pustulosis and visceral involvement are clinical features that lead to suspicion of severe adverse drug reactions. Severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCARs) include Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, drug rash eosinophilia and systemic symptoms, acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis. Serum sickness like reactions, drug induced vasculitis and generalized bullous fixed drug eruptions are less severe clinical entities. SCARs are uncommon but associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Physician should be aware of specific red flags and danger signs to immediately identify these reactions. Immediate drug withdrawal is mandatory. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment significantly affect the prognosis of the disease. The purpose of our review is to discuss clinical phenotypes of severe cutaneous drug hypersensitivity reactions.

A review of cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions in infants: From common to concerning

Cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions in infants present in a variety of patterns. These skin eruptions can be dramatic, causing alarm in parents and medical personnel. Many of these syndromes have overlapping features, which adds to the confusion and uncertainty regarding diagnosis and management. This review discusses the spectrum of hypersensitivity responses with a focus on their presentation in infants. The clinical findings, pathophysiology, histopathology, management, and complications of these conditions will be reviewed.

The rash that presents as target lesions

We have explored the rash that appears as target lesions, with the central and dominant diseases belonging to the Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis group. After presenting the clinical patterns of an individual target lesion and classifying them into different types of lesions, the contribution has been organized with groups characterized by such specific findings according to the type of lesion: flat or raised, typical or atypical, presence or absence of fever, presence or absence of mucosal ulcerations, presence or absence of arthralgias, and/or internal organ involvement. Other specific features, such as histologic appearance, immunofluorescence findings, and laboratory changes, are considered. We provide clinicians with an algorithmic, systematic, and logical approach to diagnose the condition of the patients who present with targetoid lesions, and enable them to differentiate between those with serious systemic and life-threatening diseases from others with ordinary skin ailments.