Toxic epidermal necrolysis treated with cyclosporin.
Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a severe life-threatening disorder which has many features in common with graft-versus-host disease. However, immunosuppression with steroids gives disappointing results and is possibly detrimental. We treated two patients who had TEN with a combination of cyclosporin and steroids which resulted in an apparent halt to the evolution of the disease, and a further relapse was aborted using cyclosporin in one of these patients. We feel that the use of this drug in the early treatment of TEN where it is used as a specific therapy aimed at the primary immunopathological events and is used in conjunction with the supportive care patients require, needs to be further evaluated.
Hewitt
J
J
Department of Dermatology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill, Scotland, UK.
Ormerod
A D
AD
D000328:Adult; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*
D016572:Cyclosporine; D011239:Prednisolone