Skin manifestations of drug reactions

Dermatologic manifestations of adverse drug reactions are commonly encountered in both hospital-based and ambulatory medical practice. Diagnosis is confounded by the myriad clinical presentations associated with cutaneous drug eruptions. Some presentations are highly characteristic, while others are not as straightforward, and may simulate other primary dermatoses. In many cases, patients are utilizing several medications and an obvious temporal relationship to a specific drug is not always apparent or expressed by the patient during disclosure of his or her medical history. A thorough medication history and a high index of suspicion are very important components in the diagnosis of drug eruptions.