Serious cutaneous adverse reactions to traditional Chinese medicines.
BACKGROUND
Serious cutaneous adverse reactions to traditional medicines are not well described or reported in the literature, despite growing use of these medicines.


METHODS
This is a case series of four patients who were found to have various serious cutaneous adverse reactions to the traditional Chinese medicines that they had taken.


RESULTS
In this series, there was a patient with toxic epidermal necrolysis from traditional Chinese medicine, another with acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis from piroxicam and salicylate-contaminated traditional Chinese medicine, and two patients with drug hypersensitivity syndrome--one from traditional Chinese medicine and the other from phenylbutazone-adulterated traditional Chinese medicine.


CONCLUSIONS
The series illustrates that serious cutaneous adverse reactions do occur with traditional medicines and emphasises the importance of being aware of such reactions.
Lim
Y L
YL
Dermatology Unit, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore 169608. yllim@nsc.gov.sg
Thirumoorthy
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002613:Cheilitis / Q000139:chemically induced; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000209:etiology*; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005076:Exanthema / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000139:chemically induced; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000209:etiology
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal