Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) is a spectrum of rare, severe mucocutaneous drug reaction associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Clinically, patients present with atypical targetoid lesions or generalized erythema progressing to full-thickness epidermal necrosis. Patients are classified by the extent of epidermal detachment, with SJS representing less than 10% body surface area (BSA); SJS/TEN overlap, 10% to 30% BSA; and TEN, greater than 30% BSA. In-hospital mortality in adults has been estimated to be between 12% and 40% based on the extent of epidermal detachment at presentation.
1,2 A recent study in the United States, based on diagnosis codes from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, reported mortality rates of 4.8% for SJS, 19.4% for SJS/TEN overlap, and 14.8% for TEN.
3 Unfortunately, the rarity of the disease makes it difficult to collect generalizable information to understand patient prognosis.