[Toxic epidermal necrolysis after the use of intermediate dose of cytosine arabinoside].

UNLABELLED: Toxic epidermal necrolysis is a drug-induced dermatologic disease related to Lyell syndrome, erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

PURPOSE: To report a fatal case of toxic epidermal necrolysis owing to intermediate dose of cytarabine.

CASE REPORT: A 16 year-old female patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia (LLA-L1) treated with the Protocol of the Brazilian Group for Treatment of Leukemia of Childwood (GBTLI-85-AR). On the second day after the administration of intermediate dose of cytarabine (1.5 g/m2 i.v. every 12 hours for 3 days), she presented bullous lesions in the left buttock that disseminated envolving to necrosis, sepsis, and death on the 13th day.

CONCLUSION

Cytarabine is frequently associated with dermatologic toxicity but, until now, there is no other case of toxic epidermal necrolysis described.