Review Article

Treatments for Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions

Table 1

Treatments for severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs).

SCARsComments

SJS/TEN
Supportive careIt is the most important and fundamental treatment and should include assessment and management of skin wounds, fluid and nutrition status, electrolyte balance, renal and airway function, and adequate pain control.
Systemic corticosteroidsThey are the most commonly used treatment in SJS/TEN other than supportive care. There are controversies regarding the usage of corticosteroids. There is a trend toward survival benefits of systemic corticosteroids compared to supportive care (odds ratio: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.29–1.01).
IVIGThe results were conflicting. A recently published meta-analysis showed no differences in mortality when comparing patients receiving IVIG to those receiving supportive care.
CyclosporineThree recent meta-analysis studies showed a significant and beneficial effect of cyclosporine compared with supportive care on mortality.
Anti-TNF-α agentsThere is an unexpected increase in mortality in the patients receiving thalidomide. Several case reports and one case series showed positive results of infliximab or etanercept in the treatment of SJS/TEN.
PlasmapheresisPlasmapheresis may remove toxic and harmful mediators from the patients and has been shown to provide rapid and dramatic improvement in some reports.
DRESS
Supportive careIt might have a higher rate of detectable autoantibodies and a higher rate of autoimmune long-term sequelae. Further studies are needed.
Systemic corticosteroidsThey are the mainstay treatment. They may reduce the occurrence of disease flare-ups and decrease the probability of the development of autoimmune sequelae. Individual adjustments are needed.
IVIGResults are conflicted. It should not be used as monotherapy.
OthersThese include cyclosporine, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, and rituximab. Antiviral therapies such as ganciclovir have been proposed in addition to systemic corticosteroids or IVIG in patients with severe disease and viral reactivation.
AGEP
Supportive careIt includes identification and removal of the possible culprit drugs.
Topical corticosteroidsThey were correlated with a decreased median duration of hospitalization.
Systemic corticosteroidsThe beneficial effects of the usage of systemic corticosteroids need further investigations.
GBFDE
Supportive careIt includes prompt identification and removal of the possible culprit drugs.
Systemic corticosteroidsThere is a lack of sufficient evidence.

AGEP: acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis; DRESS: drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms; GBFDE: generalized bullous fixed drug eruption; IVIG: intravenous immunoglobulin; SJS: Stevens-Johnson syndrome; TEN: toxic epidermal necrolysis; TNF: tumor necrosis factor.