Hypersensitivity reactions to ethylenediamine in aminophylline

Adverse reactions to aminophylline are usually manifested by the toxic effects of theophylline on the gastrointestinal, cardiac, and central nervous systems. Reactions to its ethylenediamine component are less commonly encountered. We present here a patient who experienced severe exfoliative erythroderma after intravenous administration of aminophylline. Our investigations suggested that the reaction was a cell-mediated hypersensitivity to ethylenediamine.