title: Etiology of erythema nodosum.
abstract: One hundred patients with biopsy-proven erythema nodosum were studied at Ramathibodi Hospital from 1982 to 1992 to find out the etiology of this disease. Eighty-eight were females while twelve were males, with an age range from 6 to 72 years old (mean, 31 years old). Abnormal laboratory findings in these patients included elevation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (76.9%), increase anti-streptolysin-O titer (10.7%), abnormal chest roentgenogram (16.7%), positive tuberculin test (50%). The cause of erythema nodosum is still unknown in a large group of patients, and it was found only in twenty-eight patients (28%). Twelve patients had tuberculosis, seven had history of antibiotic administration, six probably had streptococcal infection and the other three had Behcet's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Puavilai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakuntabhai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sriprachaya-Anunt
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rajatanavin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Charuwichitratana
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004893:Erythema Nodosum / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged