Chenna: It was almost a nightmarish experience for Sharmila, aged 20, who had to battle with a strange life-threatening skin disorder. She had no clue on the abrupt onset of multiple fluid filled lesions and generalised peeling of sheets of skin on her body, until she consulted the doctors at the Department of Dermatology, Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital here, recently. She was initially admitted to the hospital and after examining her, the doctors found that she had an episode of fever and as a result she developed the strange skin lesions.
“She came to our hospital on May 29 with complaints of abrupt onset of multiple fluid filled lesions and generalised peeling of sheets of skin with involvement of eyes, oral cavity and genitalia. And based on her clinical presentation, we diagnosed this as a type of cutaneous adverse drug reaction called Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (Ten),” explained Dr Issac Christian Moses, Dean, Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital here on Thursday.
The Ten occurs in one in a million persons per year. This was a rare, acute and life-threatening mucocutaneous disease due to drugs, infection, malignancy and vaccinations, he said. The seriousness of her condition warranted intensive care with multidisciplinary intervention including a dedicated team of dermatologists under Dr V. Anandhan, with the support of opthalmologists, dentists, general physicians and medical gastroenterologist. Following a thorough investigation, the patient was managed with meticulous wound care. With timely medical intervention and dedicated multi-disciplinary approach, she has dramatically recovered from Ten.
