Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) As the Initial Presentation in a Patient With a New Diagnosis of HIV

Mollie Lagrew; Kelly L Perryman; Addie Walker; Paulette Hahn

doi:10.7759/cureus.50277

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) As the Initial Presentation in a Patient With a New Diagnosis of HIV

Cureus. 2023 Dec 10;15(12):e50277. doi: 10.7759/cureus.50277. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Mollie Lagrew¹, Kelly L Perryman², Addie Walker³, Paulette Hahn⁴

Affiliations

¹ Ophthalmology, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
² Internal Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
³ Dermatology, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
⁴ Rheumatology, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.

Abstract

A woman in her 40s presented to the emergency department with a diffuse rash consistent with Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS). There was no identifiable inciting factor. However, she was newly diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during that same hospital admission. The leading theory for why she developed SJS given her lack of classic precipitating factors is an immune dysregulation as a result of HIV. Most cases of SJS/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) in patients with HIV are related to highly active antiretroviral therapy and prophylaxis with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. There is a lack of literature regarding SJS as the initial presentation of HIV without known underlying etiology or inciting factors.

Keywords: dermatology; hiv incidence; stevens-johnson syndrome (sjs); ten; toxic epidermal necrolysis (ten).

Publication types

Case Reports