Etiological factors of the Stevens-Johnson syndrome

Etiologic factors of the Stevens-Johnson syndrome, both drug-related and nondrug-related, are discussed. A description of the Stevens-Johnson syndrome as a symptom complex is presented. Available literature is reviewed and critiqued as to its contribution in helping to define the role of drugs as specific etiologic factors in the syndrome. A patient case history is presented to demonstrate the difficulty of determining the causative agent for the syndrome, and to emphasize the need for a complete drug history before specific agents are implicated. The need for caution and discretion in reporting and implicating agents without the availability of a complete patient history is discussed.