Treatment of toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome in children.

A retrospective study was carried out on eight consecutively treated children, 2 to 14 years of age, seven with toxic epidermal necrolysis and one with transitional-type Stevens-Johnson syndrome. The body surfaces affected ranged from 40% to 100%. Seven of the patients were taking a sulfonamide or anticonvulsant before the onset of their disease. Complete reepithelialization took an average of 15 days, but newly evolving lesions of the lips and oropharynx continued for approximately 4 more weeks. These lesions took an additional 2 to 4 weeks to heal. Only one of the children died.