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PubMed1999

Erythroderma: a comparison between HIV positive and negative patients.

UNLABELLED: Background Erythroderma has protean underlying causes. There have been isolated case reports suggesting an association between erythroderma and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). OBJECTIVE: To describe and characterize further the prevalence, etiology, and metabolic sequelae of erythroderma in HIV positive and negative patients. In a subset of patients, clinicopathologic correlation was performed. METHOD: One hundred and thirty-eight consecutive patients were prospectively recruited over a one and a half year period at the skin clinic of King Edward VIII Hospital. Demographic, clinical, biochemical, and histologic data were recorded. RESULTS: Seventy-five per cent of the patients were black, 22.5% Indian, and 2.5% white. The men to women ratio was 1.9 : 1. The mean age was 34. 7 years (range, 1 month to 85 years). Forty-three per cent of patients were HIV positive, of whom 90% were black. The commonest causes of erythroderma in the total sample were atopic dermatitis (23.9%), psoriasis (23.9%), and drug reactions (22.5%). The commonest cause in the HIV positive group was drug reactions (40.6%), the commonest being ethambutol (30.8%). HIV positive patients had a significantly lower (P < 0.05) white cell count (7.6 vs. 10.5 x 109 /L), hemoglobin (11.1 vs. 12.6 g/dL), platelets (278.3 vs. 378.0 x 109 /L), and albumin (25.4 vs. 28.7 g/L) and significantly higher serum urates (0.6 vs. 0.4 mM/L) than HIV negative patients. HIV positive patients did not have a significant increase in the number of episodes of erythroderma. Clinicopathologic correlation was greatest with psoriasis in the HIV negative group and with psoriasis and drug reactions in the HIV positive group. CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of erythrodermic patients in this study were HIV positive. Inflammatory dermatoses were the commonest cause of erythroderma in all the patients studied. Drug reactions were the commonest cause in HIV positive patients. In the young black patient, erythroderma may be a marker for HIV infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Erythroderma: a clinical study of 97 cases.

BACKGROUND: Erythroderma is a rare skin disorder that may be caused by a variety of underlying dermatoses, infections, systemic diseases and drugs. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical, laboratory and biopsy material of 97 patients diagnosed with erythroderma who were treated in our department over a 6-year period (1996 through 2002). RESULTS: The male-female ratio was 1.85:1. The mean age at diagnosis was 46.2 years. The most common causative factors were dermatoses (59.7%), followed by drug reactions (21.6%), malignancies (11.3%) and idiopathic causes (7.2%). Carbamazepine was the most common drug (57.1%). The best clinicopathologic correlation was found in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and pityriasis rubra pilaris related erythroderma. Apart from scaling and erythema that were present in all patients, pruritus was the most common finding (97.5%), followed by fever (33.6%), lymphadenopathy (21.3%), edema (14.4%) and hyperkeratosis (7.2%). CONCLUSION: This study outlines that underlying etiologic factors of erythroderma may show geographic variations. Our series had a high percentage of erythroderma secondary to preexisting dermatoses and a low percentage of idiopathic cases. There was no HIV-infected patient among our series based on multiple serum antibody tests. The clinical features of erythroderma were identical, irrespective of the etiology. The onset of the disease was usually insidious except in drug-induced erythroderma, where it was acute. The group associated with the best prognosis was that related to drugs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Clinical deterioration among patients with fever and erythroderma.

BACKGROUND: Some children who present with fever and erythroderma have rapid clinical deterioration or progress to toxic shock syndrome. Our primary objective was to determine whether specific clinical features of those who present with fever and erythroderma can predict who will develop hypotension or progress to toxic shock syndrome. Our secondary objective was to describe the clinical presentation, course, and outcome of children with fever and erythroderma. METHODS: We conducted a medical chart review of children < or = 19 years of age with fever and erythroderma who presented to an urban pediatric emergency department over 60 months. Historical, clinical, and laboratory data were abstracted from the medical chart. RESULTS: Fifty-six patients with fever and erythroderma were studied. Eighteen percent of patients presented with hypotension. Thirty-three percent of the remaining patients who were normotensive on arrival developed shock. Fifty-two percent of patients with hypotension required vasopressor support. The most important predictors of developing hypotension after presentation were: age > or = 3 years, ill appearance, vomiting, glucose > or = 110 mg/dL, calcium < or = 8.6 mg/dL, platelets < or = 300,000/microL, elevated creatinine, polymorphonuclear leukocytes > or = 80%, and presence of a focal infection. Among all patients studied, 4 variables were determined to be the most important predictors of developing toxic shock syndrome: age > or = 3 years, ill appearance, elevated creatinine, and hypotension on arrival. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, 45% of patients with fever and erythroderma developed shock, including 33% of those who were normotensive on presentation. Older age, presence of vomiting, identification of a focal bacterial source, as well as specific laboratory parameters can be used to help predict which patients are likely to have hemodynamic deterioration. Given the high rate of clinical decompensation, all of the patients with fever and erythroderma should be hospitalized, closely monitored, and managed aggressively.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

[Detection of clonal T-cell receptor gamma gene rearrangement with the use of PCR-DGGE for diagnosis of erythroderma].

BACKGROUND: It is often difficult to establish the etiological diagnosis of erythroderma because clinical findings and immunohistology cannot always distinguish between lymphomatous erythroderma and inflammatory erythroderma. The purpose of this work was to assess the contribution of PCR-DGGE for detecting clonal T-cell receptor gamma gene rearrangement to the etiological diagnosis of erythroderma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The following inclusion criteria were used: patient with erythroderma; skin biopsy for histologic study, immunophenotyping and molecular biology; minimal follow-up of 12 months after initial diagnosis. Thirty patients were included from May 1, 1995 to November 30, 1998. Histology slides were reread by one of the authors blinded to other data who classed them in three categories: probable lymphoma, probable inflammatory disease, uncertain diagnosis. Molecular data were also analyzed in the same blinded manner. Immunohistology diagnosis was compared with the molecular data and the final diagnosis retained from clinical, histological and molecular findings as well as the disease course to last follow-up (November 1, 1999) after a mean 12 +/- 18 months follow-up. RESULTS: Eight biopsies were classed as probable lymphomas; a T-cell clonal rearrangement of the TCR genes was detected in 7/8 cases. The one sample with no detectable T clone was a drug-induced Sézary pseudolymphoma. The histologial classification identified 16 cases of probable inflammatory disease; no clonal rearrangement of the TCR genes was found in these cases. One of these patients had fungoid mycosis treated with caryolysin for three months and developed treatment intolerance at the time of the skin biopsy. For six biopsies the histological diagnosis was "uncertain"; a clonal rearrangement of the TCR genes was found in 2/3 of the fungoid mycosis cases and in none of the three cases of toxic dermal reactions. DISCUSSION: This study demonstrated the contribution of genotypic analysis with PCR-DGGE to the diagnosis of erythroderma. Monoclonal TCR gene rearrangement was detected in 9/11 (82 p. 100) of the patients with lymphoma and in 0/19 of the patients with an inflammatory dermatosis. The etiological diagnosis of erythroderma is an excellent indication for molecular stud of skin biopsies with PCR-DGGE.

Dermatitis, Exfoliative↗
PubMed1983

Erythroderma: a follow-up of fifty cases.

Fifty consecutive cases of erythroderma were studied. The mean onset age was 61 years, and thirty-three of the fifty were male. As a causative factor, a preexisting dermatosis was identified in twenty-one cases, topical sensitization to drugs in six cases, reaction to internal drugs in five cases, and mycosis fungoides in two cases. In sixteen cases a causative factor could not be disclosed. A follow-up survey of the patients at a mean of 6 years after the start of the erythroderma indicated that seventeen patients had cleared completely, twelve patients had less symptoms than initially, and six suffered from undiminished erythroderma. Ten patients had died from causes unrelated to the erythroderma. It is concluded that the underlying causes for erythroderma have remained rather unchanged during several decades, and that the majority of present-day erythroderma patients can expect a favorable prognosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Erythroderma: a clinico-etiologic study of 90 cases.

BACKGROUND: The difficulty with erythroderma lies in finding the underlying cause. Almost all the published original clinical series of erythroderma originate from western countries. Our aim was to evaluate various causes of exfoliative dermatitis in our community and compare the findings with previous studies. METHODS: Ninety patients with erythroderma of either sex and any age, were studied at the Dermatology Department, Mayo Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, between April 1992 and May 1995. A through clinical examination and relevant laboratory investigations, including skin biopsies, were performed. RESULTS: The mean age of onset was 41.6 years with a male:female ratio of 2.8:1. The onset was acute in 69% of patients. The salient features included nail changes (80%), mucosal involvement (36.6%), alopecia (30%), islands of normal skin (14.4%), and the "deck chair sign" (5.5%). The most frequent cause of erythroderma was pre-existing dermatoses (74.4%), including psoriasis (37.8%), dermatitis (12.2%), ichthyoses (7.8%), and pemphigus foliaceus (5.6%). Drugs and malignancy each induced erythroderma in 5.5% of cases. No cause could be found in 14.6% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Etiologically, pre-existing dermatoses showed the highest incidence and drugs the lowest compared with previous studies. Dermatitis was less common. There was a greater variety of causes of erythroderma in our series. Hair and nails were more frequently involved. Mucosal involvement, not mentioned in other studies, was present in 36.6% of our cases. The "deck chair sign" and islands of normal skin were seen in dermatoses not reported previously.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Erythroderma in children: a clinico-etiological study.

Although there are various published studies on erythroderma from western and Asian countries, most of them have only included patients in the adult age groups. As we have an exclusively pediatric dermatology unit, we thought it would be intriguing to study the clinical, etiological and laboratory parameters of erythroderma in children. Seventeen erythroderma patients of both sexes were inducted into the study between 1993 to 1998. The mean age of onset was 3.3 years and the male:female ratio was 0.89:1. Eight (47%) of the patients were infants; 9 (53%) others belonged to the preschool and school going age group (age range between 1 to 12 years). An acute onset of the disease was seen in 47% of the patients while 53% of the patients had a chronic onset. The main presenting complaints were itching in 41% and burning in 18% of patients. Scalp involvement (71%), nail involvement (18%), and alopecia (6%) were the main cutaneous features observed while fever (53%), tachycardia (53%), pedal edema (12%), lymphadenopathy (18%), and hepatomegaly (12%) were the main systemic features observed in this study. Etiologically, drugs (29%), showed the highest incidence, followed equally (18%) by genodermatoses, psoriasis, and staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS). Two (12%) patients had erythroderma due to atopic dermatitis, while one was (5%) due to infantile seborrheic dermatitis coexisting with dermatophytosis. Laboratory parameters contributed little towards diagnosis of the underlying dermatological condition. Thus, though erythroderma is a striking entity, it is yet uncommon in the pediatric age group. Because the drug induced group was the largest in this study, we recommend that drugs should be suspected as important causative factors of erythroderma in children.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed2005

Gallbladder carcinoma presenting as exfoliative dermatitis (erythroderma).

Although exfoliative dermatitis (erythroderma) secondary to malignancy is commonly associated with lymphomas or leukemias, coincident gastrointestinal (GI) malignancy and erythroderma is rare. The authors recently encountered a patient with gallbladder carcinoma presenting as erythroderma. A 77-yr-old Japanese man presented with a 3-mo history of erythematous eruptions with pruritus over almost the entire body. After confirming the diagnosis of erythroderma, asymptomatic gallbladder carcinoma was found. Further investigations detected no malignancies in other organs. An extended cholecystectomy was performed. Histologic examination of resected specimens revealed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with negative resection margins. The eruptions with pruritus resolved within 1 wk after the operation. This is the first report, to our knowledge, of coincident biliary malignancy and erythroderma. The experience of the current patient suggests that erythroderma secondary to GI malignancy may resolve spontaneously after curative resection of the tumor.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Altered lamellar body secretion and stratum corneum membrane structure in Netherton syndrome: differentiation from other infantile erythrodermas and pathogenic implications.

BACKGROUND: The infant with Netherton syndrome (NS) typically displays a generalized erythroderma covered by fine, translucent scales, which can be difficult to distinguish clinically from erythrodermic psoriasis, nonbullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma, or other infantile erythrodermas. Some infants with NS develop progressive hypernatremic dehydration, failure to thrive, and enteropathy. Such complications can be fatal. Diagnosis is typically delayed until the appearance of a pathognomonic hair shaft anomaly, trichorrhexis invaginata (bamboo hair). To facilitate the early diagnosis of NS, we obtained biopsy specimens from 7 patients with erythrodermic NS and compared their morphologic findings to those of 3 patients with erythrodermic psoriasis and 2 with congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma. Biopsy specimens were processed for light and electron microscopy using postfixation with osmium tetroxide and ruthenium tetroxide. OBSERVATION: In NS, and often in congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma and erythrodermic psoriasis, the stratum corneum layer was largely replaced by parakeratotic cells. A distinctive feature--premature secretion of lamellar body contents--occurred only in NS. Furthermore, lamellar body-derived extracellular lamellae and stratum corneum lipid membranes were separated extensively by foci of electron-dense material. Finally, transformation of lamellar body-derived lamellae into mature lamellar membrane structures was disturbed in NS. CONCLUSIONS: Premature lamellar body secretion and foci of electron-dense material in the intercellular spaces of stratum corneum, features not observed in other erythrodermic disorders, appear to be frequent and relatively specific markers for NS. These ultrastructural features could permit the early diagnosis of NS before the appearance of the hair shaft abnormality. These abnormalities could explain the impaired permeability barrier in NS, and account for hypernatremia and dehydration in infants with NS.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2002

Paraneoplastic erythroderma in a prostate cancer patient.

BACKGROUND: Erythroderma is an inflammation of the skin, which can be triggered by various diseases as psoriasis, allergies, side effects of medication, infections or malignant tumors. Caused by these various etiologic possibilities patients require extensive diagnostic effort. PATIENT: We report a case of a 71-year-old man presenting with an erythroderma of unknown etiology. Therapy with corticosteroids was not successful. A complete remission was reached by therapy with cyclosporine A, 350 mg/day. Finally, an increased prostate specific antigene (PSA) value was found and a prostate cancer was diagnosed in the patient. RESULTS: After definitive radiotherapy of the carcinoma (total dose 74 Gy, 5 x 2 Gy/week), the cyclosporine A was displaced without recurrence of erythroderma. CONCLUSION: In this case, we consider the erythroderma to have been a paraneoplastic effect of the prostate carcinoma. In male patients with erythroderma an early PSA test should be performed.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Expression pattern of chemokine receptors and chemokine release in inflammatory erythroderma and Sézary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Erythroderma can be caused by inflammatory dermatoses or cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Even if chemokines and their receptors are involved in the skin-selective lymphocyte recruitment, their role in inflammatory erythroderma is yet unclear. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the chemokine release (TARC, MDC, IP-10) and to define the expression pattern of Th1- (CCR5, CXCR3) and Th2-related (CCR4) chemokine receptors in inflammatory erythroderma and Sézary syndrome (SS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Flow cytometry has been carried out on both circulating and skin-infiltrating T lymphocytes; serum chemokine levels have been evaluated using ELISA techniques. RESULTS: CCR4, CCR5 and CXCR3 were expressed on about 40% of peripheral blood lymphocytes and on the majority of skin-infiltrating lymphocytes in the inflammatory erythroderma patients, whereas the leukemic CD4+CD26- subpopulation in SS was characterized by a high CCR4 expression without a concurrent increase in CCR5 or CXCR3. TARC, MDC and IP-10 serum levels were significantly increased in both erythrodermic and SS patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm that SS is a Th2 disorder with a selective expression of CCR4, whereas inflammatory erythroderma shares an overexpression of both Th1- and Th2-related chemokine receptors, suggesting an activation of different pathways driving reactive lymphocytes to the skin.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Histopathologic studies in Sézary syndrome and erythrodermic mycosis fungoides: a comparison with benign forms of erythroderma.

Histologic sections from eleven patients with Sézary syndrome were reviewed and compared with those of four patients with erythrodermic mycosis fungoides and twenty-four patients with a benign form of erythroderma, including fifteen patients with chronic dermatitis, four with a generalized drug eruption, and five with an erythrodermic psoriasis. The most important discriminating histologic feature in patients with Sézary syndrome was the presence of a monotonous bandlike or perivascular infiltrate in the papillary dermis, mainly composed of large cerebriform-mononuclear cells, as seen in seven of eleven Sézary syndrome patients. Pautrier's microabscesses were observed in seven of eleven Sézary syndrome patients, two of four patients with erythrodermic mycosis fungoides, but not in any of the patients with a benign form of erythroderma; their presence was therefore considered a reliable criterion in differentiating erythrodermic cutaneous T cell lymphoma from benign forms of erythroderma. However, features of chronic dermatitis were often found superimposed on those of Sézary syndrome and were even predominating in four of eleven Sézary syndrome patients. Moreover, four patients with a benign form of erythroderma showed a histologic picture suggestive of cutaneous T cell lymphoma. Therefore, in dubious cases repeated skin biopsies, additional investigations of lymph nodes and peripheral blood, and careful follow-up are mandatory for the achievement of a correct diagnosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Erythroderma: review of 82 cases.

We reviewed 82 cases of erythroderma, including clinical, laboratory, and biopsy material. The diseases most commonly associated with erythroderma were drug eruptions (34%), preexisting dermatoses (30%), and lymphoreticular neoplasms (20%), especially cutaneous T cell lymphomas (CTCL). The prognosis was related to the associated process; all deaths occurred in the drug or lymphoma groups. The clinical presentation of erythroderma was fairly uniform, with malaise (34%), pruritus (36%), and a subjective chilly sensation (34%) the most common symptoms. Keratoderma of the palms and soles (37%), mild generalized adenopathy (26%), and hepatomegaly (9%) were also common. Splenomegaly was rare (1%). Skin biopsy revealed the cause in 43% of the patients, but lymph node biopsy was not generally helpful in the initial evaluation. Although numerous laboratory values were abnormal, most findings were nondiagnostic and were related to the inflammatory process. A major exception was the Sezary cell preparation, which was selective for CTCL. A previously undiagnosed chronic erythroderma in a patient with no underlying skin disease may be the initial manifestation of CTCL. Thus, repeated evaluations and close follow-up are recommended.

Anemia↗
PubMed1991

Diagnostic value of T-cell receptor beta gene rearrangement analysis on peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with erythroderma.

Differentiation between Sézary's syndrome (SS) and benign forms of erythroderma may be extremely difficult. In this study T-cell receptor beta (TCR beta) gene rearrangement analysis was performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from 32 patients with erythroderma, including 10 patients with SS, three patients with another type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and 19 patients with a benign form of erythroderma. The aim of this study was to define the sensitivity and specificity of this technique in the diagnosis of SS. Clonal TCR beta gene rearrangements were found in eight of 10 patients with SS, one T-CLL patient, one of two patients with erythrodermic mycosis fungoides, and only one of 19 patients from the benign group. In the two "false-negative" cases of SS clonal TCR beta gene rearrangements were detected in PBL obtained during follow-up. The results indicate that TCR beta gene rearrangement analysis on PBL is a sensitive and highly specific technique, that may contribute significantly to the differential diagnosis of patients with erythroderma. However, because both "false-positive" and "false-negative" results may occur, the results of gene-rearrangement analysis should always be considered in conjunction with clinical, histologic, and immunophenotypical data.

Blotting, Southern↗
PubMed1993

Significance of elevated serum squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)-related antigen and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in senile erythroderma following eczema.

Clinical and laboratory tests were used to evaluate fourteen patients with senile erythroderma following eczema, and the results were compared with those from four patients with psoriatic erythroderma, two with Sézary syndrome, and twelve with prurigo chronica multiformis or nummular dermatitis. Characteristic laboratory findings included elevated serum squamous cell carcinoma-related antigens (SCC-RAg), high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), peripheral-blood eosinophilia, and a decreased peripheral blood lymphocyte percentage. Following treatment, titers of SCC-RAg and LDH resumed normal levels with remission. In patients with senile erythroderma following eczema, serum IgE was quite high and varied but, in a few instances, was within the normal range. SCC-RAg and LDH may thus be considered useful as markers for evaluating disease conditions of the skin of patients with senile erythroderma following eczema.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Erythroderma in adults: a report of 80 cases.

BACKGROUND: Erythroderma is a generalized erythema of the skin accompanied by a variable degree of scaling. However, most of the published series originate from Western countries. There is only one report from Africa, conducted in Dakar in 1979. The aim of our study was to provide information about this condition in our country. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our study was retrospective, dealing with 80 erythrodermic adults, examined between January 1981 and December 2000. Patient information included clinical, laboratory, histopathologic and therapeutic data. We also noted patients' outcomes within an average follow-up period of 30 months. Thus, we calculated the mortality rate and estimated the probability of survival without relapses according to the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The frequency of erythroderma in our dermatology department was 0.3. The sex ratio (male/female) was 2.2. The average age of our patients was 53.78 +/- 18 years. Previous history of skin disease was found in 49/80 patients (61.2%) and 32 of them were suffering from psoriasis. Hyperthermia was significantly associated with drug reactions (P = 0.013). Hypereosinophilia was not a specific finding. The mortality rate was higher than that of an age-matched population. CONCLUSION: Adult erythroderma is a rare condition. Its most common cause in our study was psoriasis. No cases of atopic dermatitis were found. Prognosis was adversely affected by the presence of erythroderma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Psoriatic erythroderma: a histopathologic study of forty-five patients.

BACKGROUND: There are conflicting opinions about the diagnostic value of skin biopsy in erythrodermic psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to establish the specificity of the histopathologic changes of psoriatic erythroderma. METHODS: We reviewed 52 skin biopsies from 45 erythrodermic patients having a final diagnosis of psoriasis on the basis of combined clinical and laboratory data, in addition to response to therapy and follow-up. In 5 patients, erythroderma was the presenting sign of psoriasis. A control group of nonpsoriatic erythrodermic patients was also included in the study. RESULTS: Among the group of patients with a discharge diagnosis of psoriatic erythroderma, the histopathologic changes were specific for psoriasis in 40 cases (88%). The changes of early macular and squamous lesions of psoriasis were more often found in the biopsy specimens of our series than those of fully developed or late lesions of psoriasis. They included mainly slight epidermal hyperplasia, focal disappearance of the granular layer, mounds of parakeratosis and extravasated erythrocytes within edematous dermal papillae associated with perivascular and interstitial infiltration of lymphocytes and histiocytes. CONCLUSION: When features of early lesions of psoriasis are found during the evaluation of a biopsy specimen from a patient with a clinically nonspecific erythroderma, the dermatopathologist should be aware that this patient could have psoriasis and a renewed anamnesis and a close follow-up should be made.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Increased topical tacrolimus absorption in generalized leukemic erythroderma.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of elevated blood tacrolimus concentration after application of topical tacrolimus ointment in an erythrodermic patient. CASE SUMMARY: A 44-year-old man developed generalized erythroderma and itching due to infection with human T-cell lymphotropic virus. Despite application of strong glucocorticosteroid ointments, the symptoms and area of erythroderma were not alleviated. Daily topical application of tacrolimus 0.1% ointment was added and therapeutic drug monitoring was started. The dose and applied area of tacrolimus were gradually increased from 2.5 to 12.5 g/d and from 10% to 90% of body surface area, respectively. Because the trough concentration of tacrolimus in whole blood increased from 7.5 ng/mL on treatment day 9 to 15.4 ng/mL on day 13, the dose was reduced to 10 g/d. However, the concentration further elevated to 16.5 ng/mL. Therefore, the applied area was reduced to 20% of body surface area, and the tacrolimus concentration decreased gradually thereafter. Although the transient increase of blood tacrolimus concentration was observed on day 23, treatment with 20% applied area and 5 g/d were maintained. DISCUSSION: Topically applied tacrolimus was substantially absorbed with the expansion of its applied area and dose. Increased tacrolimus concentrations may have a tendency to depend on the increase of the percent of body surface area per dose. Our findings showing the elevation of blood tacrolimus concentration after application of the ointment to a large area of the body suggest that the applied area should be as narrow as possible in a barrier-disrupted condition such as erythroderma. However, the safety of tacrolimus ointment has not been established in patients with generalized erythroderma. CONCLUSIONS: Tacrolimus concentrations in whole blood should be carefully monitored to prevent nephrotoxicity. Based on the results of that monitoring, the application area and dose of tacrolimus ointment should be closely adjusted, especially in generalized erythrodermic cases.

Administration, Topical↗