Stevens Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis

Last Updated: 2023-07-07

Author(s): Anzengruber F., Navarini A.

ICD11: EB13.2

  • Staphylococcal scaled skin syndrome (SSSS)
  • Erythema exsudativum multiforme
  • Pemphigus vulgaris
  • Pemphigus foliaceus
  • Bullous pemphigoid

  • Stevens Johnson syndrome : Stevens & Johnson, 1922
  • Toxic epidermal necrolysis : Lyell, 1956

Stevens Johnson Syndrome, SJS, Toxic epidermal necrolysis, TEN, Lyell syndrome, Epidermolysis necroticans combustiformis, Epidermolysis acuta toxica.

Rare, serious, potentially lethal, mucocutaneous disease, which is usually triggered by the ingestion of drugs. There is detachment of the epidermis and the appearance of necrosis. Stevens Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) correspond to one clinical picture. In 100% there is cheilitis and stomatitis. What differs is the extensive spread to the rest of the skin

  • Division
    • Stevens Johnson syndrome: 10% of the body surface, mucous membranes are affected (eyes, oral cavity, genital)
    • SJS/TEN overlap syndrome: > 10% to < 30% of body surface area, mucous membranes are affected (eyes, oral cavity, genital).
    • TEN: > 30% of body surface, mucous membranes are affected (eyes, oral cavity, genital).

  • Incidence (for SJS, SJS/TEN and TEN): 2-7/1,000,000/per annum
  • SJS:TEN = approx. 3:1
  • 100-fold increased incidence in HIV-positive patients
  • Women > men

  • Medicines:
    • Allopurinol
    • Anticonvulsants
      • Phenobarbital
      • Primidone
      • (Ox)-carbamazepine
      • (Fos)-phenytoin
      • Lamotrigine
    • Nevirapine
    • NSAIDs
      • Oxicam
        • Piroxicam
        • Tenoxicam
        • Meloxicam
      • Diclofenac
      • COX-2 inhibitors
        • Etoricoxib
    • Paracetamol
    • Metamizole
    • Sulfasalazine
    • Amifostine
    • Antibiotics
      • Azithromycin
      • Penicillins
        • Amoxicillin
        • Ampicillin
    • Sulphonamides
      • Sulfadiazine
      • Sulfadoxine
      • Sulfamethoxazole
      • Clarithromycin
      • Erythromycin
      • Cephalosporins
        • Cefadroxil
        • Cefixime
        • Ceftriaxone
        • Cefuroxime
      • Doxycycline
      • Fluoroquinolones
        • Ciprofloaxcin
        • levofloxacin
        • Pefloxacin
      • Rifampicin
  • Infections
    • Mycoplasma pneumoniae
    • Cytomegalovirus infections
  • Vaccinations
  • Contrast media
  • Nutrients
  • Bone marrow transplants
  • Radiotherapy
  • Predisposing factors
    • HIV infection
    • Genetics:
      • HLA: HLA-B*1502, HLA-A*3101, B*5801, HLA-B*1502, HLA-A*3101, HLA-B*5801.
      • Polymorphisms

  • Prodromal stage:
    • Deteriorated AZ, fever
    • Influenza-like symptoms
      • Facultative:
        • Photophobia
        • Conjunctival pruritus
        • Pain on swallowing
        • Myalgias
        • Arthralgias
        • Purulent rhinitis
        • Joint pain
        • Generalised lymphadenopathy
        • Liver and spleen involvement
  • Mucocutaneous symptoms
    • Mostly appear after 1-3, but sometimes after up to 14 days.
    • Lesions usually begin on the face or trunk before spreading to other body locations.
    • The capillitium is not affected, but palmoplantar involvement is also seen in some cases.
    • The duration of mucocutaneous symptoms is reported to be 8-12 days.
  • Mucocutaneous:
    • In 90% of cases, the oral mucosa is affected
      • Erosions and ulcerations.
      • Hemorrhagic crusts on the lips.
    • The eyes (conjunctivits, sometimes purulent) are almost always affected
      • Incrusted lesions on the upper and lower eyelids.
      • Corneal ulcer, panophthalmitis, photophobia, synechiae, symblepharon.
    • Genital erosions
      • Synechiae and stenosis may develop in the labia, urethra.
      • Urethritis, urinary retention, cystitis.
    • Involvement of the pharynx may be observed in almost all patients.
    • Rarely, the trachea, bronchus, oesophagus and intestine may also be involved.
  • Cutaneous manifestation:
    • Epidermal detachments, erosions and sometimes ulcers
    • Cocardiform plaques and macules
    • Often scarlatiniform, truncal exanthema
    • Development of vesicles and bullae
      • Nikolski phenomenon I (blisters can be triggered on healthy skin or non-blistered skin can be displaced when lateral pressure is applied)
      • Nikolski phenomenon II (pre-existing blisters can be displaced on lateral pressure)
      • Asboe-Hansen sign (the blister expands laterally on pressure
    • Coarse lamellar desquamation/the skin peels off flat
    • Necrosis
    • Perhaps onycholysis
    • Reepithelialisation occurs after a few days
  • Lab
    • Elevated ESR, CRP, leukocytosis
    • Egg-wise electrophoresis (Increased α- & γ-globulin fraction)
    • Anemia (approx. 15%)
    • Lymphopenia (frequent)
    • Neutropenia
      • occurs in about 1/3 of all patients
      • Often masked by systemic glucocorticoids
      • Correlates with a poor prognosis
    • Eosinophilia (20%)
    • Elevated transaminases (approx. 15%)
    • Proteinuria and haematuria (5%)
    • Bacteraemia (approx. 27%)
    • Characteristics of a severe course:
      • Urea >10 mmol/L
      • Glucose >14 mmol/L
      • ALT (up to 2-3 times the normal value)

  • Anamnesis (medication history)
  • Clinical image
  • Biopsy
    • Frozen section procedure. Important to make a distinction from SSSS. Thus has a pronounced therapeutic consequence!
    • Direct immunofluorescence
  • Using the algorithm of drug causality for epidermal necrolysis (ALDEN)
  • Laboratory
    • BB, creatinine, electrolytes, electrophoresis
  • Bact. Swabs, blood cultures, cultures of urinary catheters and PEG tubes, if applicable, should be repeated every 2 days!

Subepidermal blister cleft, necrotic keratinocytes in the epidermis at the blister roof, otherwise unchanged str. corneum, ↑ eosinophils in the epidermis, spiny cells with ballooned degeneration. In the corium lymphohistiocytic infiltrate, mainly arranged perivascularly.

  • Hypoalbuminemia
  • Electrolyte imbalances
  • Hypovolaemic shock
  • Insulin resistance
  • Catabolic metabolic state
  • Multi-organ failure
  • Bacterial infections
  • Septic shock (often S. aureus and P. aeruginosa)
  • Pneumonia or interstitial pneumonitis
  • Necrosis of oesophagus, small intestine and colon with perforation
  • The mucosal area usually shows painful erosions
  • Estimation of body surface infestation:
    • 1 patient's palm is approximately 1% of body surface area in children and adults
    • Rule of nines: rule for measuring body surface area
      • Head ≙ 9% of the body surface
      • 1 arm ≙ 9% of the body surface
      • Breast & Abdomen ≙ 9% & 9% (= 18%) of the body surface
      • 1 leg ≙ 18% (!) of the body surface
      • Genital ≙ 1% of the body surface

  • SCORTEN (severity of illness score for toxic epidermal necrolysis)
    • Scale designed to predict the probability of mortality
  • Mortality (for SJS, SJS/TEN and TEN): approx. 30%.
  • Mortality (for SJS): 10%
  • Mortality (TEN): >30%
SCORTEN (severity of illness score for toxic epidermal necrolysis) according to Bastuji-Garin
Age ≥ 40 years 1
Existing neoplasia? Yes 1
Body surface affected >10% 1
Heart rate ≥120/minute 1
Serum urea >10 mmol/L 1
Serum glucose >14 mmol/L 1
Serum bicarbonate >20 mmol/L 1

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