Adverse Drug Reactions Are the Main Causes of Erythroderma in an Argentinian Teaching Hospital: A Retrospective Study of 70 Patients. / Las reacciones adversas a fármacos son la primera causa de eritrodermia. Estudio retrospectivo de 70 pacientes en un hospital universitario de Argentina.

BACKGROUND: Erythroderma, characterized by erythema and scaling that affects at least 90% of the body, has diverse causes. Most of the clinical manifestations and laboratory findings are nonspecific, making diagnosis challenging. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study of patients treated between January 1, 2010, and June 1, 2020. We reviewed the records to identify all patients with erythroderma who were hospitalized in Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and followed for at least 6 months. We extracted information on clinical histories, the characteristics of the episodes, laboratory and histopathologic findings, and clinical course. RESULTS: Seventy patients were studied. The mean age at onset was 63 years, and the ratio of men to women was 1.2:1. Adverse drug reactions caused the largest proportion of the rashes (48%), and vancomycin was the most common culprit (involved in 30% of the cases). The next most frequent cause was a preexisting skin disease, psoriasis being the most common (in 42%). The clinicopathologic correlation was adequate for diagnosis after the first biopsy in 40% of patients, but the diagnostic yield increased to 76% with the second biopsy. The largest number of biopsies required was 8, in 2 patients. The outcome was favorable in 92% of the cases. CONCLUSION: Adverse reactions to medications accounted for the largest proportion of erythroderma cases in this series, and vancomycin was the main culprit. We found no statistically significant associations among the variables studied. Nor did we identify potential predictors of causes, poor outcomes, or mortality.

Pemphigus Vulgaris: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Clinical Features, Treatments, and Outcomes. / Pénfigo vulgar: estudio de cohorte retrospectivo de sus características clínicas, tratamientos empleados y evolución.

BACKGROUND: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an uncommon, serious disease that is treated with systemic corticosteroids and corticosteroid-sparing agents. OBJECTIVES: To describe and analyze the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with PV. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of adults diagnosed with PV over a period of 12years. RESULTS: PV presented with mucosal lesions in 20 of the 32 patients studied (63%); the most common site was the oral mucosa followed by the vulva. Mucosal involvement was more common in women (P=.03). Lesions were found at more than 1 mucosal site in patients whose disease began in the mucosa, independently of age or sex (P=.003). Disease onset before the age of 40years was associated with generalized skin lesions (P=.003), a need for corticosteroid-sparing therapy (P=.05), and refractory PV (P=.02). Azathioprine was the most widely prescribed corticosteroid-sparing agent (in 22 patients). Eight patients (25%) were dependent on corticosteroids and disease recurred in 26 (81%). Complete remission, with or without treatment, was achieved in 15 patients (47%). Patients remained disease-free for a median of 14months, and 2 patients died (6%). CONCLUSION: Onset before the age of 40 years could be a sign of poor prognosis in patients with PV, as it was significantly associated with a higher risk of generalized skin involvement, a need for corticosteroid-sparing therapy, and refractory disease.