A 23-year-old woman complains of headaches and arthralgias for the past 3 days. She presents to urgent care because of a painful
rash on her face that has progressed into multiple vesicles. This rash is characterized by erythematous macules with dark purple centers with multiple vesicles in different stages. On physical exam there is also mucosal edema within the oral cavity. She recently completed an antibiotic course for a urinary tract infection. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis? a. Erythema multiforme
b. Staphylcoccal scalded skin syndrome
c. Stevens-Johnson syndrome
d. Toxic epidermal necrolysis
Answer: the correct answer is c. Stevens-Johnson syndrome
Explanation:
Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS) is a type of severe skin reaction. It typically involves the skin and the mucous membranes. Together with toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and Stevens-Johnson/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN), it forms a spectrum of disease, with SJS being less severe. It seems to be the flu at the beginning. The Early symptoms of SJS include fever and flu-like symptoms.
