Drug-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis (Lyell syndrome) in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.

BACKGROUND

Although patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are predisposed to cutaneous adverse drug reactions, only a few cases of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) have been reported in this setting.

OBJECTIVE

Our purpose was to examine the features of TEN in HIV-infected patients.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of all HIV-infected patients in a series of 80 consecutive cases of TEN during a 6-year period.

RESULTS

Fourteen patients were HIV infected. They had typical TEN, with epidermal detachment involving 20.6% +/- 8.0% of the skin surface. Suspected drugs were sulfadiazine, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, sulfadoxine, clindamycin, phenobarbital, and chlormezanone. Patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) exhibit a dramatically increased risk of TEN. During our study period 15 cases of AIDS-associated TEN occurred in the greater Paris area, whereas 0.04 case would have been expected if the incidence of TEN were the same in these patients as in the general population.

CONCLUSION

HIV-infected patients, especially those with AIDS, may develop TEN that shares many similarities with the disease in immunocompetent patients.