Toxic epidermal necrolysis as a variant of severe skin lesions in systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) has been long believed to be the most severe manifestation of drug allergy. However, cutaneous changes as TEN in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were first described in the late 1970s. As of now, the English-language literature published reports of 30 cases of such lesions in SLE. This paper describes a clinical case of TEN as a direct manifestation of SLE; the positive experience has been first depicted in using not only intravenous immunoglobulin, but also rituximab with a good therapeutic effect in Russian clinical practice.

Keywords

• toxic epidermal necrolysis
• systemic lupus erythematosus
• clinical case
• intravenous immunoglobulin
• rituximab