Complications of Stevens-Johnson syndrome beyond the eye and skin

Hajirah Saeed; Iason S Mantagos; James Chodosh

doi:10.1016/j.burns.2015.03.012

Complications of Stevens-Johnson syndrome beyond the eye and skin

Burns. 2016 Feb;42(1):20-27. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2015.03.012. Epub 2015 Apr 9.

Authors

Hajirah Saeed¹, Iason S Mantagos², James Chodosh³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, USA. Electronic address: Hajirah_Saeed@meei.harvard.edu.
² Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: Jason.Mantagos@childrens.harvard.edu.
³ Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, USA. Electronic address: James_Chodosh@meei.harvard.edu.

PMID: 25865527
DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2015.03.012

Abstract

Introduction: Ocular and cutaneous disease are common chronic sequelae of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) and have been well described in the literature. Long-term complications affecting other organ systems have not been so well described. The purpose of this review article is to highlight non-ocular and non-cutaneous chronic complications of SJS/TEN.

Methods: The PubMed database was searched for the keywords "Stevens-Johnson syndrome" and "toxic epidermal necrolysis" through September 1, 2014. Relevant articles were then reviewed in full.

Results: 138 articles in the English language were found that described chronic sequelae of SJS/TEN. Our search revealed six affected organ systems other than the eyes and integument, with chronic sequelae from SJS/TEN: respiratory, gastrointestinal/hepatic, oral, otorhinolaryngologic, gynecologic/genitourinary, and renal. Complications involving these organs systems appeared likely to reduce the quality of life for SJS/TEN survivors.

Discussion: SJS/TEN is a multi-organ disease requiring multidisciplinary care from a variety of specialists. Affected patients have complex hospital stays, and their quality of life may be severely impacted by multiple long-term complications. We believe that preventative care in the acute setting might limit the development and progression of many of the sequelae described above.

Keywords: Stevens–Johnson syndrome; Toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Chronic Disease
Female
Gastrointestinal Diseases / etiology*
Genital Diseases, Female / etiology
Humans
Kidney Diseases / etiology*
Liver Diseases / etiology*
Lung Diseases / etiology*
Male
Male Urogenital Diseases / etiology
Mouth Diseases / etiology*
Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases / etiology*
Quality of Life
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / complications*