title: Toxic epidermal necrolysis: analysis of clinical course and SCORTEN-based comparison of mortality rate and treatment modalities in Korean patients.
abstract: Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a rare, life-threatening, drug-induced cutaneous reaction. We herein report our experience regarding causes, clinical course, treatment and sequelae of TEN in Korean patients. In addition, we used the SCORTEN, a severity-of-illness score for TEN, to compare the predicted and actual mortality rates, and to evaluate the efficacy of treatment modalities. A retrospective study of 38 patients with TEN during a 13-year period (1990-2003) at the Asan Medical Center was performed. The mean involved body surface area was 49+/-17%. All except three cases were associated with medications, most commonly antibiotics, followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen and herbal remedies. Fourteen patients had a history of current infection, including upper respiratory infection, pneumonia and herpes simplex infection. The mean time from initial drug administration to the onset of TEN was 9.8+/-5.7 days. Twenty-one patients were treated with systemic corticosteroids. Fourteen received high dose intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. The actual mortality rate was 23.7% (9/38), not significantly different from the SCORTEN-predicted rate (25.5%, 9.699/38). Also based on SCORTEN, treatment with high dose intravenous immunoglobulin showed a trend to lower actual mortality than predicted mortality (standardized mortality ratio (SMR) = 0.425; 95% CI, 0.011-2.368), whereas corticosteroid therapy showed no such difference (SMR = 1.004; 95% CI, 0.369-2.187).
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul. kimkj20@dreamwiz.com
authors.forename: Kyoung Jin
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Deuk Pyo
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ho Seok
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Mi Woo
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jee Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kee Chan
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Jai Kyoung
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Koh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous