[Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis]

Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis are acute mucocutaneous diseases primarily due to drug intake. The diseases are characterised by the separation of epidermis from dermis which can be life-threatening. Mortality is often caused by sepsis and multiple organ failure. The most common drugs involved are antibiotics, antiepileptic medicine, allopurinol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Besides withdrawing the suspected drug the treatment is mainly symptomatic. A number of systemic treatments have been suggested including systemic corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulins, cyclosporine, granulocyte colony stimulating factor and tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors although they remain controversial.