ABSTRACT

Objective:

Skin is among the most important targets for drug reactions. In patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of cutaneous drug eruptions, implicated drugs and related skin manifestations were evaluated in the light of literature data. Methods: This retrospective study was performed in Gazi University Medical Faculty, Department of Dermatology. The study comprised 177 patients that were diagnosed with drug eruptions between 2003 and 2007.

Results:

Of the 177 patients, 121 were women, 56 were men. The age of cases ranged between 8 and 83 years (mean age 45.5±18.5). Duration of the disease ranged from 1 to 60 days (mean 6.6±8.1). 54.8% of the patients had a systemic disease. Commonly implicated drugs were antibiotics, analgesics, antiinflammatory and antipyretic drugs, anticonvulsants, antineoplastics, antidepressants and antihypertension drugs. Urticaria/angioedema and maculopapular eruptions comprised 81.8% of eruptions. Conclusion: Cutaneous drug eruptions are mostly related to antibiotics, analgesics, antiinflammatory drugs, and antipyretics. Urticaria/angioedema and maculopapular drug eruptions are the most common forms. Anticonvulsants may cause severe reactions such as erythroderma and toxic epidermal necrolysis, therefore they must be used with concern. Some patients with cutaneous drug eruptions may define previous reactions to the same drug. Therefore patients should be informed about the responsible drug in a cutaneous drug eruption.