DRESS syndrome - A dermatological emergency - Sulfasalazine-related acute drug reaction case report

Krzysztof Kanabaj; Dorota Jenerowicz; Lucyna Jankowska; Zbigniew Żaba

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20021

DRESS syndrome - A dermatological emergency - Sulfasalazine-related acute drug reaction case report

Heliyon. 2023 Sep 9;9(9):e20021. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20021. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Krzysztof Kanabaj¹, Dorota Jenerowicz¹, Lucyna Jankowska¹, Zbigniew Żaba²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Dermatology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Przybyszewskiego 49, 60-356, Poznan, Poland.
² Department of Emergency Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, ul. Rokietnicka 7, 60-806, Poznan, Poland.

Abstract

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS syndrome) or drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS) is a severe skin reaction associated with general symptoms and mortality reaching up to 10% of cases. DRESS/DIHS is one of the few dermatological emergencies which need to be taken into consideration when dealing with a patient with acute exanthema and systemic symptoms like: fever, lymphadenopathy, muscle pain, hepatosplenomegaly, abnormal blood count results and systemic inflammation. The aim of this article is to summarize the literature finding regarding this dermatological emergency and present the case of a 42-year-old male suffering from DRESS syndrome as a consequence of sulfasalazine intake due to an inflammatory bowel disease, who was effectively treated with oral prednisolone and immediate drug withdrawal.

Keywords: Acute exanthema; Case report; Dermatological emergency; Dress syndrome; Drug eruption.

Publication types

Case Reports