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Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis with Severe Gastrointestinal Mucosal Cell Death: A Patient Who Excreted Long Tubes of Dead Intestinal Epithelium
Author(s) -
Sugimoto Yasuko,
Mizutani Hitoshi,
Sato Takayuki,
Kawamura Noriko,
Ohkouchi Kumiko,
Shimizu Masayuki
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
the journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1346-8138
pISSN - 0385-2407
DOI - 10.1111/j.1346-8138.1998.tb02450.x
Subject(s) - toxic epidermal necrolysis , epithelium , epidermis (zoology) , intestinal epithelium , gastrointestinal epithelium , pathology , medicine , biology , apoptosis , dermatology , anatomy , biochemistry
TEN is a severe inflammatory disease which is characterized by generalized epithelial destruction. The epidermis is the most common target of TEN, however, any epithelium can be involved. We report a toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) patient who excreted long tubes of dead intestinal epithelium. Epidermal keratinocytes and intestinal epithelium were found to undergo extensive apoptosis by TUNEL method. Drugs were speculated as the causative agents for this case, the causative drug has not been identified. In contrast to marked improvement of cutaneous manifestation and hepatic function by methyl prednisolone pulse therapy, the gastrointestinal symptoms did not respond to therapies, and the patient died by heart failure. Present case suggested a pathogenetic mechanism targeting antigens commonly expressed on the gastrointestinal epithelium and epidermis.