Korean J Dermatol.
1999 May;37(5):598-602.
Erythroderma: a Clinico-etiologic Study of 39 Patients
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Erythroderma may result from different causes. Almost all the published original clinical series of erythroderma originated from western countries.
OBJECTIVES
The objective was to evaluate various causes of erythroderma in our environment, frequency, clinical and laboratory findings, and patient evolution. METHOD: We reviewed the clinical and laboratory findings including biopsy materials of 39 patients diagnosed as erythroderma and treated during the last 9 years (from 1989 to 1998).
RESULTS
The male-female ratio was 3 to 1. The mean age at diagnosis was 54 years. Drug reaction and undetermined cause were the most frequent cause (30.8%, respectively), followed by the pre-existing dermatoses (28.2%), and malignancies (10.3%). Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate was found in 70.4% of the patients. Eight patients were resistant to treatment. In the patients with the persistent erythroderma, leukocytosis, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and eosinophilia were the common findings.
CONCLUSIONS
Half of the patients with the erythroderma of undetermined cause showed the protracted course. Two patients diagnosed as cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and S zary syndrome had the history of generalized erythroderma of more than 3 years. The close follow-up for the erythroderma of undetermined cause with frequent laboratory and histopathological evaluations would be mandatory.
