Erythroderma in Thai patients

Erythroderma is a clinical manifestation of dermatoses from different causes. Our objective was to determine its incidence, causes and clinicopathological features. Clinical, laboratory, and biopsy materials of 49 patients diagnosed as having erythroderma were reviewed. They were treated in our department over a 10-year period (1985 through 1994). The male-female ratio was 2:1. The mean age at diagnosis was 51.7 years. The most common causative factors were drugs (38.77%) and preexisting dermatoses (26.5%). Hepatomegaly, jaundice and abnormal liver function tests were found more commonly in the drug allergy group, while in cases with preexisting dermatoses nail involvement was a common finding. Clinicopathologic correlation in our study did not inform the etiology because it showed chronic nonspecific dermatitis or psoriasiform dermatitis, without any clue as to its origin. Drug-induced-erythroderma had an acute onset and a good prognosis with rapid resolution when the causative drug was withdrawn, while histopathology and laboratory findings were largely unrewarding.