A retrospective study of cutaneous drug reactions in an outpatient population

Adverse cutaneous drug reactions (ACDR) are unexpected cutaneous changes occurring at drug dosages that are normally used for disease prophylaxis, diagnosis or treatment.

The aim of the study was to determine the clinical types of ACDR, the causative agents, the latency time between drug intake and onset of ACDR and the recovery time in an outpatient population.

Ninety-five patients diagnosed with ACDR at the Department of Dermatology of the University of Genoa between 2003 and 2012 were retrospectively studied.

Antimicrobials, especially cephalosporins, were the most responsible for ACDR, followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antihypertensives. The most common clinical manifestations were exanthema (42.1%), erythema multiforme (10.53%) and vasculitis (9.53%). Patients with peripheral eosinophilia showed a more severe clinical manifestation, they were treated with systemic therapies and their recovery time was longer.

It is important to have an appropriate clinical approach according to the ACDR severity degree. We think that eosinophilia may characterise severe cutaneous eruptions and that it should always be investigated when ACDR is suspected in order to manage the patient with the appropriate treatment.