Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2010 , Vol 13, Issue 1
SEVERE LIFE THREATENING AMOXICILLIN RELATED STEVENS JOHNSON SYNDROME IN A GERIATRIC PATIENT
Elif ÖNDER1, Adem GÜNGÖR1, Gökhan CELBEK1, Faruk ÇEÇEN1, Ümran YILDIRIM2, Zehra GÜRLEVİK3, Yusuf AYDIN1, Hakan CİNEMRE1
1Düzce Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi İç Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı, DÜZCE
2Düzce Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Patoloji Anabilim Dalı, DÜZCE
3Düzce Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Dermatoloji Anabilim Dalı DÜZCE
Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is a severe skin reaction related to drugs and infections, characterized by fever, stomatitis and conjunctivitis. Although seen in all age groups it is more common in the 2nd and 4th decades. SJS is rare in the elderly. Many drug related SJS cases have been reported in literature but amoxicillin related SJS cases are rare. In this article, a case of amoxicillin related severe SJS in a geriatric patient during treatment of pneumonia has been reported.

A 74 year old patient admitted to our emergency room with severe skin lesions, swollen red eyelids and dyspnoea after the second day of amoxicillin treatment. He was hospitalized with a diagnosis of acute renal failure, pneumonia and severe drug eruption (SJS). After clinical and histopathological evaluations, the severe skin lesions were diagnosed as amoxicillin related SJS and intravenous corticosteroid therapy was initiated. Steroid therapy led to a marked improvement in skin lesions and was decreased gradually and stopped. Use of beta-lactam antibiotics and especially amoxicillin is common in all age groups including the geriatric patients. It should be kept in mind that, although rare, amoxicillin related severe life threatening skin lesions (SJS) may develop in elderly patients. Keywords : Stevens Johnson Syndrome; Amoxicillin; Geriatric age group