Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome in an adult with Hodgkin's disease.

An elderly man with Hodgkin's disease who was receiving multiple drug chemotherapy became septic and a wide spread bullous eruption developed. Intraepidermal cleavage on skin biopsy supported a diagnosis of the staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) type of toxic epidermal necrolysis. Blood cultures confirmed a staphylococcal septicemia. Occurrence of this syndrome in an adult is unusual. A review of the literature on SSSS indicates an increased mortality when adults are compared with children with this syndrome.