Interface dermatitis as an indicator of hepatic involvement in drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS)

Abstract

Background: There are conflicting reports on the association between interface dermatitis and hepatic involvement in DRESS.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of the clinical and the histopathologic features of DRESS was performed to study the association between the histopathology of the skin rash and hepatic involvement.

Results: The clinical and the histopathologic findings were evaluated in 40 cases of DRESS. Thirty patients (75%) had a hepatic involvement. Thirty (75%) biopsy specimens showed a combination of different inflammatory patterns. The interface dermatitis was noted in 24 specimens (60%). Twenty-one patients with the interface dermatitis had a hepatic involvement (P = .04).

Conclusions: The skin rash of DRESS often shows the coexistence of different inflammatory patterns. The interface dermatitis showed a statistically significant association with the hepatic involvement in DRESS.

Keywords: drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms; histopathology; interface dermatitis.