Toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with carvedilol treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To report a case of fatal toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with carvedilol treatment.


METHODS
Two days after the initiation of carvedilol treatment, a 70-year old woman presented with skin eruptions in the form of maculous rash with blisters that rapidly progressed to epidermal necrolysis. Although the suspected drug was withdrawn, the reaction was extremely rapid in its development with fatal outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
Carvedilol is not a drug commonly associated with TEN. To our knowledge there are no cases of carvedilol related TEN reported in the literature.


CONCLUSIONS
Because of the close temporal relationship between the initiation of carvedilol treatment and the appearance of skin eruptions, and because carvedilol was the only new medication the patient had taken, the etiology of TEN was most likely a reaction to this drug. Physicians should be aware of this extremely rare but serious ADR.
Vlahovic-Palcevski
V
V
Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, 2Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Rijeka, University of Rijeka Medical Faculty, Rijeka, Croatia. vvlahovic@inet.hr
Milic
S
S
Hauser
G
G
Protic
A
A
Zupan
Z
Z
Reljic
M
M
Stimac
D
D
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002227:Carbazoles / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077261:Carvedilol; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D002227:Carbazoles; D011412:Propanolamines; D000077261:Carvedilol