Toxic epidermal necrolysis

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a rare but life-threatening adverse dru g reaction. Implicated drugs are sulfonamides, anticonvulsants, allopurinol , and pyrazolone derivatives. Recently, advances in pathogenesis have been made in two directions. It is now known that (1) most patients with TEN hav e an abnormal metabolism to the culprit drug; and (2) the mechanism leading to epidermal necrolysis seems to be a cell-mediated cytotoxic reaction. Th e treatment remains symptomatic.