Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a rare and serious form of erythema multiforme. It’s a health condition wherein your skin and mucous membranes react to something. Although the cause for this severe skin reaction is never identified in about half the cases.
One of the most predominant symptoms of Stevens-Johnson syndrome is multiple and severe skin lesions that break out and spread quickly. Your skin condition may appear as red or purple skin rashes marked by some of these other skin changes:
Severe skin lesions may occur anywhere on your body, often on the face, lips, upper body, legs, arms, palms, hands or feet.
In addition to the severe skin lesions, mucous membranes can react creating painful blisters, especially in your mouth, nose and eyes. Mucous membrane involvement can be a cause for symptoms like:
Stevens-Johnson syndrome very often starts off with influenza or upper respiratory infection like symptoms, which is then followed by severe skin lesions. Initially, Stevens-Johnson syndrome causes symptoms such as:
Two serious possible complications of Stevens-Johnson syndrome because of severe skin loss are cellulitis and sepsis. And when the skin grows back you may be left with skin bumps, uneven pigmentation and scars. Other aggravating health effects this syndrome may cause include:
- eye problems ~ uveitis, keratitis, blindness
- skin problems causing hair loss, abnormal nail growth
- internal organ damage caused by lesions ~ pneumonitis, myocarditis, nephritis, hepatitis
Stevens-Johnson syndrome is very rare, is an unpredictable skin and mucous membrane reaction and is a health care emergency. Therefore, if you ever start breaking out in severe skin lesions get medical assistance ASAP.
Stevens-Johnson syndrome is believed to be some sort of immune response causing allergic reaction symptoms. And the causes often instigating a response are medication and infectious disease. The ingesting of numerous drugs have been tied to Stevens-Johnson syndrome, some of which include:
- NSAIDs
- cocaine ~ illegal drug
- allopurinol ~ treats gout
- anticonvulsants ~ treat seizures
- sulfa drugs & penicillin ~ treat bacterial infections
Bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections that may cause or be associated with Stevens-Johnson syndrome include:
- HIV
- variola
- herpes
- malaria
- typhoid
- mumps
- hepatitis
- influenza
- tularemia
- diphtheria
- coxsackie
- brucellosis
- enteroviruses
- trichomoniasis
- histoplasmosis
- dermatophytosis
- Epstein-Barr virus
- coccidioidomycosis
- rickettsial infections
- mycoplasma pneumonia
Various carcinomas and lymphomas, along with radiation therapy and ultraviolet light have been associated with Stevens-Johnson syndrome as well.
Treatment for Stevens-Johnson syndrome usually requires hospitalization. And if your skin lesion condition is severe, recovery can take awhile.