Erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis - diagnosis and treatment

Prior to the first international consensus classification published in 1993, the clinical distinction between erythema multiforme (EM), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) had been subject to uncertainty and controversy for more than a century. Based on this classification, the three conditions are defined by the morphology of the individual lesions and their pattern of distribution. Etiopathogenetically, the majority of EM cases is caused by infections (primarily herpes simplex virus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae), whereas SJS/TEN are predominantly triggered by drugs. The SCORTEN (score of toxic epidermal necrolysis) can and should be used to assess disease prognosis in patients with SJS/TEN. While supportive treatment is generally considered sufficient for EM, there is still uncertainty as to the type of systemic therapy required for SJS/TEN. Given the lack of high-quality therapeutic trials and (in some cases) conflicting results, it is currently impossible to issue definitive recommendations for any given immunomodulatory therapy. While there is always a trade-off between rapid onset of treatment-induced immunosuppression and an uptick in infection risk, there has been increasing evidence that cyclosporine in particular may be able to halt disease progression (i.e. skin detachment) and lower mortality rates. Assistance in diagnosis and management of the aforementioned conditions may be obtained from the Center for the Documentation of Severe Skin Reactions (dZh) at the Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany.