%0 Journal Article
%T Successful Treatment of Antiepileptic Drug-Induced DRESS Syndrome with Pulse Methylprednisolone
%A Celebi Kocaoglu
%A Ceyda Cilasun
%A Ece Selma Solak
%A Gulcan S. Kurtipek
%A Sukru Arslan
%J Case Reports in Pediatrics
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/928910
%X Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is a rare but potentially life-threatening syndrome characterized by skin rash, fever, lymph node enlargement, and involvement of internal organs. It is most commonly induced by aromatic anticonvulsants and antibiotics. Nonaromatic anticonvulsants are rarely encountered as the causes of DRESS syndrome. In the present report, three discrete cases with DRESS syndrome developing due to three antiepileptic drugs, including valproic acid (nonaromatic), carbamazepine (aromatic), and lamotrigine (aromatic), and their treatment modalities were aimed to be discussed in light of the literature. To the best of our knowledge, our cases are the first children to be treated with pulse methylprednisolone in the literature. 1. Introduction DRESS syndrome reflects a serious hypersensitivity reaction, especially to antiepileptic drugs. Clinical features include cutaneous eruption, fever, multiple peripheral lymphadenopathies, and potentially life-threatening damage of one or more organs, such as hepatitis, nephritis, or myocarditis. Skin rash, suggestive of DRESS syndrome, includes maculopapular rash or generalized erythematous rash, usually associated with facial edema [1, 2]. Reversion of systemic manifestations is very slow, ranging between 1 and 6 months [3]. Liver is the most frequently affected internal organ [1, 4, 5]. Other systemic involvements like interstitial nephritis, encephalitis, aseptic meningitis, myocarditis, interstitial pneumonitis, or vasculitis may also be seen. Pathogenesis of DRESS remains unclear. Different mechanisms, like detoxification defects causing reactive metabolite formation and subsequent immunological reactions, slow acetylation, and reactivation of human herpesviruses, were implicated in its development [2]. DRESS syndrome is most commonly induced by aromatic anticonvulsants and antibiotics. Nonaromatic anticonvulsants are rarely encountered as the causes of DRESS syndrome [2, 3, 6, 7]. In this report, three discrete cases with DRESS syndrome developing due to three antiepileptic drugs, including valproic acid ((VPA), nonaromatic), carbamazepine (CBZ, aromatic), and lamotrigine ((LMT), aromatic), and their treatment modalities were aimed to be discussed in light of the literature. To the best of our knowledge, our cases are the first children to be treated with pulse methylprednisolone in the literature. 2. Case Presentations 2.1. Case 1 A 12-year-old boy was admitted to the emergency department with the complaints of high grade fever, weakness, and generalised
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/cripe/2013/928910/