Erythroderma : Review of a potentially life -threatening dermatosis

Abstract

Erythroderma, or generalized exfoliative dermatitis, is a disease characterized by erythema and scaling of greater than 90% of the body's surface. The resultant dysmetabolism is potentially life threatening. A detailed history is to identify and treat the underlying cause of this dermatitis. We present two cases of erythroderma in African patients and review this important disease.

Phenobarbital induced erythroderma: a case report

“…Currently, it is believed that the condition is secondary to an intricate interaction of cytokines and cellular adhesion molecules, including interleukins 1, 2 and 8, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and tumor necrosis factor. 4,5 It is one of the most severe patterns of cutaneous drug reaction. It is a non-specifi c disease pattern induced by different diseases or medications.…”

A Clinico-Epidemiological Study of Erythroderma in a Tertiary Care Center in Jharkhand

“…There is also increased susceptibility to colonization of bacteria in erythroderma due to inflammation and fissuring of skin. This may lead to development of sepsis in susceptible individuals [1,8].…”

“…Increased levels of cellular adhesion molecules ( Intercellular adhesion molecules, vascular cellular adhesion molecules, E selectins) are found in different types of erythroderma. There is a complex interaction between these adhesion molecules and cytokines which leads to increased mitotic and epidermal turnover rate which is clinically seen as scaling [1,8].…”

A Questionnaire Based Study on the Concepts of Protein Supplementation in Exfoliative Dermatitis Among Dermatologists

“…According to the study by Freedberg and Baden, exfolia on more than 17 g/m 2 /day can lead to a nega ve nitrogen balance. 3 Later, Kanthraj et al observed that exfolia ve derma s may increase the daily protein loss by approximately 25-30% in psoriasis and by 10-15% in exfolia ve derma s due to other causes. Based on this observa on, they recommend early supplementa on of protein, in addi on to the normal balanced diet, for minimizing the nega ve nitrogen balance.…”

“…Even with an es mated annual incidence of 35 cases per 1,00,000 dermatology outpa ent visits represen ng 1-1.5% of total skin clinic admissions [1][2][3][4] , the exact e ology and overall ma nagement of exfolia ve derma s o en stands challenging. There exists a number of gaps in the understanding of the metabolic eff ects of exfolia ve derma s and its correc on.…”