[A case of TSS complicated with SSSS in an adult with liver cirrhosis]

This paper reports a case of TSS complicated with SSSS in an adult with liver cirrhosis. A 52-year-old male, heavy drinker, was referred to our clinic complaining lumbago and painful swelling of the right arm. The patient had peeling of the skin over the hips, knees and elbows with positive Nikolsky's sign. The patient was in a state of shock on admission. Pyrexia persisted for 4 days and finally the body temperature rose up to 39 degrees C. The laboratory studies revealed hypoxia, DIC and multiple organ failure, and these became progressively worse. He died 4 days after admission. According to the criteria, he was diagnosed as TSS, and TSST-1 was detected from his serum. Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase type V was cultured both from the blood and from the wound of his right middle finger. This isolated strain did not produce TSST-1. The skin specimen at autopsy showed that the cleavage plane lied at the subcorneal region and close to the granular layer, with specific changes caused by exfoliative toxin. It was compatible to the exfoliation which was caused by exfoliative toxin produced from the S. aureus coagulase type V. The autopsy also revealed alcohol liver injury, liver cirrhosis and multiple organ failure due to shock state. SSSS is rare in adults, to our knowledge this is the first reported case of TTS complicated with SSSS.