Reactions 1285 - 23 Jan 2010

SCarbamazepine

DRESS syndrome: case reportA 38-year-old woman with a history of bipolar disorder

developed drug rash with eosinophilia and systemicsymptoms (DRESS) syndrome during treatment withcarbamazepine.

The woman, who had been receiving carbamazepine for6 weeks [dosage and therapeutic indication not stated], washospitalised with a 4-day history of a skin rash, and a fever.On admission, she had a maculopapular rash on her arms,and erythroderma on her legs, back, abdomen and chest.Her body temperature was 101.6°F, her AST level was 85,her ALT level was 73, her CRP level was 8.1 mg/dL, and shehad serum eosinophilia.

Carbamazepine was withdrawn on hospital day 1, andmethylprednisolone was started. The woman’seosinophilia resolved after 5 days of treatment. An attemptwas made to taper corticosteroids, but her rash becamemore painful. After 17 days of methylprednisolone, she wasswitched to prednisone. One month after admission, hertransaminase levels normalised. After 8 weeks oftreatment, her rash completely resolved. She developed apruritic rash 16 weeks after her initial presentation;prednisone was increased for 1 week, then graduallytapered; her symptoms improved.Shah R, et al. LONG DURATION OF DRESS FROM CARBAMAZEPINE. 2009Annual Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology :abstr. P16, 5 Nov 2009. Available from: URL: http://www.acaai.org -USA 803004572

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Reactions 23 Jan 2010 No. 12850114-9954/10/1285-0001/$14.95 © 2010 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved