Condiments Costing High. . . ! A Case Report of Erythema Multiforme

Adverse drug associated mucocutaneous reactions having a preponderance to occur above 1% include urticaria, angioedema, photosensitivity, fixed drug eruptions and Erythema Multiforme (EM). EM is an acute inflammatory disease of the skin and mucous membranes that causes a variety of skin lesions-hence named 'multiforme'. The aetiological spectrum of EM is wide and is attributed to infectious agents, drugs and food additives. EM is diagnosed based on stringent clinical findings which are pathognomic as microscopic evaluation carries least significance. We report a case of a 38-year-old male who presented with a complaint of severe oral & cutaneous lesions making him difficult to eat & drink. History revealed the usage of clove to get rid of tooth pain following which he developed ulcers in the mouth which made him to visit a general physician where he was administered gentamycin. Later on oral lesions worsened along with the emergence of dermal lesions. In the present case, based on the patient history, clove was found to be a probable aetiological agent and the condition was further precipitated owing to the administration of gentamycin. The patient was successfully treated with corticosteroids adhering to systemic corticosteroid administrative protocols and no remissions and exacerbations were noticed in a year follow up.