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Precision Implementation of Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) Testing to Assess Individual Variation in Human Inflammatory Response
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Published on: October 3, 2019

Poison ivy: an underreported cause of erythema multiforme

Andrew E Werchniak1, Kathryn Schwarzenberger

  • 1Department of Dermatology, Dartmouth Medical School and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
|December 4, 2004
PubMed

The relationship between herpes simplex virus (HSV) and erythema multiforme (EM) has been well described. Many authors contend that EM (excluding Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis) occurs almost exclusively as a response to HSV infection. During the past year, however, we have observed several cases of EM complicating severe Rhus allergic contact dermatitis. Although this association has been previously documented, the paucity of cases in the literature, along with our experience, suggests that this is an underreported phenomenon. We describe 4 of our cases.

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