A Case of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Which Was Misdiagnosed as Sepsis and Infectious Skin Disease

Jung,  Sung Koo; Kim,  Myung Chun; Ko,  Young Gwan

J Korean Soc Emerg Med > Volume 12(4); 2001 > Article

Original Article

Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2001;12(4): 541-545.

A Case of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Which Was Misdiagnosed as Sepsis and Infectious Skin Disease

Sung Koo Jung, Myung Chun Kim, Young Gwan Ko

Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea. edkmc@chollian.net

ABSTRACT

Stevens-Johnson syndrome(SJS) is a rare, life-threatening, drug-induced cutaneous reaction which presents dramatic, unforgettable manifestations. While the characteristic features of the disease are well known universally, many physicians have not seen a case of SJS which may result in delay in recognition and treatment. We report a rare case of SJS, which was initially misiagnosed as sepsis with skin infection and atypical pneumonia on emergency department presentation, and we give a brief review of the literature.

Key words: Stevens-Johnson syndrome