Toxic epidermal necrolysis induced by ofloxacin.

© 2010 The Authors. doi: 10.2340/00015555-0912 Journal Compilation © 2010 Acta Dermato-Venereologica. ISSN 0001-5555 Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a severe episodic mucocutaneous reaction due largely to ingested drugs and/or occasionally to infections. TEN presents as sheets of erythema, necrosis and bullous detachment of the epidermis, with a mortality rate of 30–35% (1). The most commonly implicated drugs are sulphonamides, chlormezanone, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, imidazole antifungals, cephalosporins, anticonvulsants, and allopurinol (2). In contrast, fluoroquinolones, broad-spectrum bactericidal agents, rarely cause severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR) such as TEN and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS). To date, a total of 31 cases of SJS or TEN in which a fluoroquinolone was the offending agent have been reported. Of these, 26 were caused by ciprofloxacin (3), whereas only one was caused by ofloxacin (4). We describe here a patient with TEN induced by ingestion of oral ofloxacin.