title: Levofloxacin Induced Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis: Successful Therapy with Omalizumab (Anti-IgE) and Pulse Prednisolone.
abstract: BACKGROUND Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is characterized by widespread erythematous and bullous lesions on the skin. Nowadays, considerable progress has been made in the understanding of its pathogenesis. Immunologically it is similar to graft-versus-host disease. Therefore, we may propose that TEN is a disorder of cell-mediated immunity. CASE REPORT Our patient was a 74-year-old white female who had pneumonia and was positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV), and who had been on levofloxacin therapy. After the first levofloxacin dose, erythematous dusky red macules occurred on her extremities and trunk, and on the following day, confluent purpuric lesions tended to run together over 85% of her body. Her biopsy results indicated TEN. Laboratory testing for serum ECP (eosinophil cationic peptide) and serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels were performed, and blister fluid was investigated. The patient responded positively to omalizumab treatment and after treatment laboratory tests revealed decreased high sensitive CRP, ECP, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, IgA, and IgM levels. CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of a patient with HCV who developed cutaneous adverse drug reaction on levofloxacin medication and recovered with omalizumab treatment. This is the first documentation of omalizumab treatment of a TEN patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, Antalya Education and Research Hospital, Antalya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Rusen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uzun
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Academia Sinica, Genomics Research Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Arzu Didem
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Yalcin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Antalya Education and Research Hospital, Antalya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Betul
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Antalya Education and Research Hospital, Antalya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tangul
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bulut
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Akdeniz University, Faculty of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ata Nevzat
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Yalcin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D064704:Levofloxacin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000069444:Omalizumab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020551:Pulse Therapy, Drug; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D000069444:Omalizumab; D064704:Levofloxacin; D011239:Prednisolone