Precipitants in 42 cases of erythema multiforme

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Precision Implementation of Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) Testing to Assess Individual Variation in Human Inflammatory Response
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Precision Implementation of Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) Testing to Assess Individual Variation in Human Inflammatory Response

Published on: October 3, 2019

R M Villiger1, R O von Vigier, G P Ramelli

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Inselspital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland.

European Journal of Pediatrics
|December 14, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Infections triggered erythema multiforme in most pediatric cases, with Mycoplasma pneumoniae being a common cause. Medications also played a role in some children

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Dermatology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Erythema multiforme is an acute, self-limited skin reaction.
  • Identifying triggers is crucial for understanding and managing the condition in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the precipitating agents of erythema multiforme in pediatric patients.
  • To determine the relative contribution of infections and medications to erythema multiforme development.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 42 pediatric patients diagnosed with erythema multiforme.
  • Review of medical records to identify antecedent infections, medications, or immunizations.

Main Results:

  • Infections were identified as triggers in 71% of cases, including Mycoplasma pneumoniae (14 cases), upper respiratory tract disease (10 cases), and herpes simplex (6 cases).
  • Medications were implicated in 10% of cases, with a presumptive role in an additional 29%.
  • No precipitating agent was identified in 19% of patients.

Conclusions:

  • Infections are the primary identified trigger for erythema multiforme in children.
  • Medications and immunizations represent a significant, though less frequent, cause.
  • Further investigation is needed for cases with unidentified precipitating agents.
Abstract

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