Stevens Johnson Syndrome in a patient undergoing gynaecological brachytherapy: An association or an incident?

BACKGROUND

Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Erythema Multiforme are hypersensitivity skin reactions generally arising in the context of multiple causes. Radiation therapy is considered to be one of these causes, although most reports are hindered by concomitant medications.

AIM: The aim of this paper was to present a case of Stevens Johnson Syndrome arising in a patient undergoing gynaecological brachytherapy with an unusual presentation.

CASE: We describe a case of a 56-year-old woman with endometrial cancer undergoing adjuvant gynaecological radiotherapy. While undergoing a gynaecological brachytherapy boost, she developed bilateral conjunctivitis that progressed to oral mucositis and pruritic erythema with sloughing of the skin on her arms and legs but not the torso or irradiated fields (namely the vaginal mucosa).

CONCLUSION

This case illustrates the association of RT/SJS; however, it also raises the question of patients undergoing RT being more susceptible to SJS as opposed to a direct cause of the disease.