Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis After the Use of High-Dose Cytosine Arabinoside

• Published in: Pediatric dermatology Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 38 - 40
• Main Authors: Özkan, Alp, Apak, Hilmi, Celkan, Tiraje, Yüksel, Lebriz, Yildiz, Inci
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA, USA Blackwell Science Inc 01.01.2001; Blackwell
• Subjects: Abdomen; Adolescent; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic - administration & dosage; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic - adverse effects; Arm; Biological and medical sciences; Cytarabine - administration & dosage; Cytarabine - adverse effects; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Fatal Outcome; Female; Head; Humans; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - drug therapy; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome - etiology; Toxicity: skin, dermoskeleton; Bullous dermatosis; Human; Skin disease; Erythroderma; Toxicity; Acute; Malignant hemopathy; Case study; Cytarabine; Lymphoproliferative syndrome; Skin; Acute lymphocytic leukemia; High dose; Child; Pyrimidine nucleoside; Lyell syndrome
• ISSN: 0736-8046; 1525-1470
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1525-1470.2001.018001038.x

: We report a fatal case of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) resulting from a high dose of cytosine arabinoside (ARA‐C). A 13‐year‐old girl with acute lymphocytic leukemia was treated according to the protocol of the BFM Group (BFM‐95, HRG). On the fifth day after administration of a high dose of ARA‐C (2 g/m2 intravenously every 12 hours), she developed bullous lesions on the hands and soles that disseminated, evolving to necrosis, sepsis, and death on the 22nd day. ARA‐C is frequently associated with dermatologic toxicity, but this is only the second case of toxic epidermal necrolysis described in connection with this drug.