title: Skin rash, eosinophilia, and renal impairment in a patient recently started on allopurinol.
abstract: Allopurinol is a hypoxanthine analog which inhibits xanthine oxidase, it is a widely used medication for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. Allopurinol-induced drug-induced rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms syndrome is an infrequent, life-threatening adverse reaction of allopurinol therapy that is remarkable for the higher mortality rate with the use of allopurinol than with the use of another agent. We present a case of a 62-year-old male with a history of chronic kidney disease stage 3, hypertension and gout who developed skin rash, eosinophilia, and renal impairment 2 weeks after he was started on allopurinol therapy for gout. Allopurinol was stopped, and the patient was started on steroids. This case emphasizes that although allopurinol is commonly used the drug for the treatment of gout. However, it can be associated with serious life-threatening complications. Therefore, care should be taken when prescribing allopurinol, and it should be prescribed only for the appropriate indications.
authors.affiliation: Saint Michael's Medical Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jmeian
authors.affiliation: Saint Michael's Medical Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Amer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hawatmeh
authors.affiliation: Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, Paterson, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Razan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shamoon
authors.affiliation: Saint Michael's Medical Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Fayez
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shamoon
authors.affiliation: Saint Michael's Medical Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guma
keywords: Allopurinol; drug-induced rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms syndrome; gout; skin rash