Drug Rash With Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) Due to Multiple Anti-Epileptic Drug Hypersensitivity

Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a rare type of hypersensitivity reaction with an incidence in the general population of one case per 10,000, which may lead to life-threatening complications with a mortality rate of 3.8% to 10%. This condition has been characterized by the following symptoms: skin rash, febrile episodes, lymph node enlargement, and involvement of internal organs, specifically the liver. Common medications associated with these reactions are aromatic anticonvulsants and antibiotics. In this paper, we report a case of a 41-year-old female presenting with head-turning to the right and stiffening of the right upper and lower extremities, with subsequent involvement of the left upper and lower extremities secondary to a left frontal lobe glioma. She had a hypersensitivity reaction to five anticonvulsant medications and was treated with prednisone pulse therapy. This case showed that DRESS syndrome may also manifest with newer non-aromatic anticonvulsants such as levetiracetam and that steroid pulse therapy is effective in resolving the elevated blood parameters as well as skin lesions of patients with DRESS syndrome. The patient's epilepsy responded well to gabapentin without any recurrence of seizure episodes or hypersensitivity reactions.