HIV-Associated Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis at San Francisco General Hospital

Odynophagia as the first manifestation of toxic epidermal necrolysis

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are infrequent mucocutaneous diseases, rapidly progressive and life-threatening. The clinical aspects and the management of TEN are exposed following a case.A man in his 40s presented to the emergency department with severe odynophagia, poor general condition and fever. His medical history was significant for HIV stage AIDS, and the treatment was discontinued 5 years before the present diagnosis. He was admitted for cerebral toxoplasmosis and discharged the previous 14 days with sulfadiazine. Erythematous-bullous lesions in the oral cavity, diffuse erythematous maculopapular rashes over his neck and chest, acute bilateral conjunctivitis and purulent urethritis was observed. The diagnostic suspicion was SJS/TEN due to sulfadiazine in immunosuppressed patients.This entity is infrequent but is a life-threatening dermatological emergency that requires immediate medical attention. Its diagnosis is mainly clinical, with a new drug history, prodromal symptoms and characteristic cutaneous-mucous lesions. Early diagnosis and rapid withdrawal of the drug improve the prognosis.

Impact of Antibiotics Associated with the Development of Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis on Early and Late-Onset Infectious Complications

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a rare disease, which predominantly manifests as damage to the skin and mucosa. Antibiotics count among the most common triggers of this hypersensitive reaction. Patients with TEN are highly susceptible to infectious complications due to the loss of protective barriers and immunosuppressant therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential relationship between antibiotics used before the development of TEN and early and late-onset infectious complications in TEN patients. In this European multicentric retrospective study (Central European Lyell syndrome: therapeutic evaluation (CELESTE)), records showed that 18 patients with TEN used antibiotics (mostly aminopenicillins) before the disease development (group 1), while in 21 patients, TEN was triggered by another factor (group 2). The incidence of late-onset infectious complications (5 or more days after the transfer to the hospital) caused by Gram-positive bacteria (especially by Enterococcus faecalis/faecium) was significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (82.4% vs. 35.0%, p = 0.007/p_corr = 0.014) while no statistically significant difference was observed between groups of patients with infection caused by Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts, and filamentous fungi (p > 0.05). Patients with post-antibiotic development of TEN are critically predisposed to late-onset infectious complications caused by Gram-positive bacteria, which may result from the dissemination of these bacteria from the primary focus.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis in HIV-infected patients: are intravenous immunoglobulins really necessary in this subgroup?

The spectrum of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is the most severe form of cutaneous adverse reactions to drugs. We report a case of a HIV-positive man with TEN who presented a very good response to a single dose of intravenous immunoglobulins and a short pulse of corticosteroids, together with intensive supportive care. Although the largest study on the management of this type of patients reported to date suggests a scheme of three doses of intravenous immunoglobulins together with glucocorticoids, we implemented a single dose of immunoglobulins due to lack of availability.

The Association Between Concurrence of Infection and the Onset of Severe Eruption or Liver Injury in Patients Using Antipyretic Analgesics: A Matched, Nested Case-Control Study

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrosis (TEN) or drug-induced liver injury (DILI) are severe drug-induced reactions, known as idiosyncratic drug reactions. It is believed that immune response can lead to these severe adverse drug reactions. Our previous analysis of the Japanese Spontaneous Drug Reaction database suggested that the onset of SJS/TEN and DILI was strongly associated with infection. Hence, we conducted a matched, nested case-control study to elucidate the association between concurrent infection and the onset of SJS/TEN or liver injury in patients prescribed antipyretic analgesics. We extracted 4 112 055 patients who were prescribed antipyretic analgesics between January 2014 and December 2015. Amongst them, 553 (0.01%) were diagnosed with SJS/TEN and 12 606 (0.3%) with liver injury. In a matched, nested case-control study, 131 and 2847 cases matched for SJS/TEN or liver injury, respectively. For each case, 3 controls were randomly matched with the case for age at index date and sex. In the conditional logistic regression analysis, there was a significant association between the combination of infection and antipyretic analgesics and the onset of SJS/TEN or liver injury (SJS/TEN: adjusted OR, 5.59; 95%CI, 2.01-15.51; liver injury: adjusted OR, 2.79; 95%CI, 2.24-3.46). Although it was not possible to distinguish whether the associations were caused by the infection or were a direct consequence of the antibiotic agents, our findings may help to increase awareness of the possibility of the increased onset of idiosyncratic drug reactions (SJS/TEN and liver injury) in antipyretic analgesic users because of infections.

Unusual oral findings of the toxic epidermal necrolysis in an HIV-infected patient: a case report

Erythema multiforme (EM), Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) have been reported as possible adverse effects of some classes of first-line antiretroviral drugs (ART) for HIV treatment. Herein we report an unusual presentation of TEN lesions associated with ART in an HIV-infected patient. The patient presented disseminated cutaneous eruption and oral lesions from the lips to the oropharynx region, causing odynophagia and dysphagia. In the tongue, circular, atypical erythematous lesions appeared, increasing in diameter over seven days and coalescing since then to complete remission. TEN treatment included efavirenz interruption, use of methylprednisolone, prophylactic antibiotic, and daily laser therapy with low-intensity red light. The circular oral lesions have not been described yet. Reporting our findings and clinical management may help diagnosing other similar cases and guide the clinical conduct. Analgesia and acceleration of oral ulcer repair with red laser therapy are recommended.

Current Perspectives on Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are considered a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to drugs. They represent true medical emergencies and an early recognition and appropriate management is decisive for the survival. SJS/TEN manifest with an "influenza-like" prodromal phase (malaise, fever), followed by painful cutaneous and mucous membrane (ocular, oral, and genital) lesions, and other systemic symptoms. The difference between SJS, SJS/TEN overlap, and TEN is defined by the degree of skin detachment: SJS is defined as skin involvement of < 10%, TEN is defined as skin involvement of > 30%, and SJS/TEN overlap as 10-30% skin involvement. The diagnosis of different degrees of epidermal necrolysis is based on the clinical assessment in conjunction with the corresponding histopathology. The mortality rates for SJS and TEN have decreased in the last decades. Today, the severity-of-illness score for toxic epidermal necrolysis (SCORTEN) is available for SJS/TEN severity assessment. Drugs with a high risk of causing SJS/TEN are anti-infective sulfonamides, anti-epileptic drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs of the oxicam type, allopurinol, nevirapine, and chlormezanone. Besides conventional drugs, herbal remedies and new biologicals should be considered as causative agents. The increased risk of hypersensitivity reactions to certain drugs may be linked to specific HLA antigens. Our understanding of the pathogenesis of SJS/TEN has improved: drug-specific T cell-mediated cytotoxicity, genetic linkage with HLA- and non-HLA-genes, TCR restriction, and cytotoxicity mechanisms were clarified. However, many factors contributing to epidermal necrolysis still have to be identified, especially in virus-induced and autoimmune forms of epidermal necrolysis not related to drugs. In SJS/TEN, the most common complications are ocular, cutaneous, or renal. Nasopharyngeal, esophageal, and genital mucosal involvement with blisters, erosions as well as secondary development of strictures also play a role. However, in the acute phase, septicemia is a leading cause of morbidity and fatality. Pulmonary and hepatic involvement is frequent. The acute management of SJS/TEN requires a multidisciplinary approach. Immediate withdrawal of potentially causative drugs is mandatory. Prompt referral to an appropriate medical center for specific supportive treatment is of utmost importance. The most frequently used treatments for SJS/TEN are systemic corticosteroids, immunoglobulins, and cyclosporine A.