Interface dermatitis as an indicator of hepatic involvement in drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS)

Background There are conflicting reports on the association between interface dermatitis and hepatic involvement in DRESS. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of the clinical and the histopathology features of DRESS was performed to study the association between the histopathology of the skin rash and hepatic involvement. Results The clinical and the histopathology findings were evaluated in forty cases of DRESS. Thirty patients (75%) had a hepatic involvement. Thirty (75%) biopsy specimens showed a combination of different inflammatory patterns. The interface dermatitis was noted in 24 specimens (60%). Twenty-one patients with the interface dermatitis had a hepatic involvement (P = 0.04). Conclusions The skin rash of DRESS often shows the coexistence of different inflammatory patterns. The interface dermatitis showed a statistically significant association with the hepatic involvement in DRESS.