Fluconazole induced toxic epidermal necrolysis: a case report

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Pharmacology
• Toxicology

Background:

• Drug-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) are severe mucocutaneous reactions.
• Commonly implicated drug classes include sulfonamides, penicillins, anticonvulsants, NSAIDs, allopurinol, and corticosteroids.
• However, rare cases linked to other drug classes have been documented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a case of probable toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).
• To investigate a potential association between fluconazole and TEN.
• To contribute to the understanding of rare adverse drug reactions.

Main Methods:

• Case report of a 52-year-old female patient.
• Clinical assessment and documentation of the adverse reaction.
• Review of patient's medication history, focusing on fluconazole use.

Main Results:

• The patient developed symptoms consistent with toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).
• The onset of TEN occurred in temporal proximity to fluconazole administration.
• No other commonly implicated drugs were identified as the likely cause.

Conclusions:

• Fluconazole should be considered a potential cause of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).
• This case underscores the importance of considering less common drug associations in TEN.
• Further pharmacovigilance is warranted for antifungal agents like fluconazole.