Toxic epidermal necrolysis due to erythromycin.

The article focuses on toxic epidermal necrolysis due to erythromycin. A 20-year-old woman had psoriasis since the age of 13. To treat a sore throat she was given erythromycin. 0.5 g twice daily for a week before admission to hospital. However, she did not take it consistently and had no erythromycin during the 2 days before admission, following the sudden development of a skin eruption. This case is remarkable because it is the first reported grave skin eruption due to erythromycin substantiated by oral provocation and a positive epicutaneous test. Toxic epidermal necrolysis is a well-known drug reaction usually due to phenylbutazones, sulphonamides, barbiturates, phenolphthalein and hydantoin.