Toxic epidermal necrolysis with a rare long-term oral complication requiring surgical intervention

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a rare and potentially fatal adverse dermatologic reaction, often secondary to drug intake.

We report a case of an adult male who developed TEN that was complicated by a sepsis-induced coma lasting a period of 3 months. Although the patient eventually recovered, severe oral mucosal involvement during the course of disease resulted in frenum-like fibrotic bands that connected movable oral mucosa (tongue and lips) to attached oral mucosa (gingiva). This complication was painful and also affected his ability to speak and maintain adequate oral hygiene, requiring surgical intervention to restore structure and function.

This oral manifestation in relation to TEN is rarely reported in the literature and represents a preventable complication.