Drugs Causing Fixed Drug Eruption: A Clinical Study

Non-pigmented fixed drug eruptions have been reported with pseudoephedrine.⁽⁴⁾

The histopathology of FDE is characterized by hydropic degeneration of the basal cell layer with secondary pigmentary incontinence. Civatte bodies (representing apoptotic keratinocytes) are frequently seen in the epidermis. Bullae and confluent epidermal necrosis are not infrequently seen in severe reactions. Histopathological differential diagnosis of FDE includes erythema multiforme and toxic epidermal necrolysis.⁽⁵⁾

Methods

This study was conducted out at Prince Rashid Hospital and Queen Alia Hospital during the period between January 2008 and June 2009. All patients who attended the dermatology clinic with characteristic clinical findings of FDE were included in the study. Patients with suspected FDE were evaluated by two dermatologists. The patients were thoroughly inquired about their drug history. The clinical history and physical examination included the following points: Types of drugs taken in the last 24 hours, previous history of similar attacks induced by the same offending drug, previous history of similar attacks induced by a drug other than the current offending drug, the involved sites, and any family history of fixed drug eruptions. Skin biopsy was done in suspicious cases. Statistical analysis using Chi-square test to investigate the difference between males and females regarding the drug side effect (FDE) was done.

Results

Sixty- four patients, with a mean age of 46 years (range between 12 and 80 years). The most affected age group was between 20 to 29 years of age. There were 46 males and 18 females with male: female ratio of 2.6:1.

The results were as outlined in Tables I, II, III.

Trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole was the leading causative agent in 43 cases (70.3%), followed by furosemide 5 (7.8%), tetracyclines 4 (6.3%), diclofenac sodium 3 (4.7%), and ciprofloxacin 3 (4.7%). Other drugs involved were: ibuprofen 2 (3.1%), metronidazole 2(3.1%), norfloxacin 1 (1.6%), and aspirin 1 (1.6%). There was a significant difference between males and females regarding the FDE (P value < 0.05).

The genitalia were the most commonly involved site in 39 cases (61.1%); (37 males (glans penis) and 2 females (clitoris)). FDE at the genitalia was induced mainly by trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. Other common sites of involvement include: Extremities (39.0%), followed by trunk (20.3%), and lips (6.3%). One patient (1.6%) developed a generalized bullous reaction in the third attack of FDE secondary to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole ingestion; the initial two attacks were limited to the patient’s glans penis and extremities.

Overall, a total number of 82 body sites were involved in 64 cases affected by FDE.  In the majority of cases, only one or two sites were involved (73.4% and 21.9% respectively); usually involving the genitalia and/or the extremities. In contrast, three regions of the body were involved in 2 cases (3.1%), and no cases involved four body regions. A summary is outlined in Table III.

Cross-sensitivity was noticed in two patients. The first patient developed his first attack of FDE on the glans penis after trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole ingestion. Two months later, he developed FDE on the glans penis and the extremities secondary to ciprofloxacin intake. The second patient developed severe FDE on her extremities after only one dose of ciprofloxacin which was prescribed for a presumed urinary tract infection (UTI). Ciprofloxacin was discontinued and replaced by intravenous second generation cephalosporin. One month later, she developed another attack of UTI, for which she received norfloxacin. Immediately, she developed flare up of her FDE at the same sites of the previous attack. New sites were also involved. None of our patients gave family history of FDE.

Discussion

Fixed drug eruption (FDE) is a distinctive variant of drug-induced dermatoses, with characteristic recurrence at the same site of the skin or mucous membranes. FDE was first described by Brocq in 1884, who reported FDE in a patient on antipyrine therapy.⁽⁶⁾ Since then, scores of drugs have been reported from different parts of the world to cause FDE. The traditional etiologic agents associated with FDE are sulfonamides, phenazones, and tetracyclines. The incidence of FDE worldwide varies from time to time and place to place; depending upon relative prevalence of the various drugs that are being used by a particular population.

The most characteristic feature of FDE is reactivation of the inflammatory process in the previously involved site(s) with each subsequent exposure.⁽⁷⁾  The classic morphology of FDE lesion is dusky red painful patch (es) that leaves long-lasting or permanent deep postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. Other, non classic, lesions of FDE are occasionally seen including: erythema multiforme, Steven Johnson syndrome, cheilitis, psoriasis, lichen planus-like, hand eczema, melasma, discoid lupus erythematosus, pemphigus vulgaris or hypermelanosis of the vulva and peri-anal area.⁽⁷⁾

The underlying pathophysiology of FDE remained unclear for years. However, cell-mediated, rather than humoral immunity is believed to be involved. Recent studies suggest that the CD8 intra-epidermal T-cells (memory T-cells) residing in the FDE lesion persist in a state of activation (express an early activation marker CD69) even in the resting lesions,⁽⁸⁾ in contrasts to their counterparts in the dermis and peripheral blood. On re-exposure to the same antigen (offending drug), those intra-epidermal T-cells acquire a potent cytotoxic activity via the production of large amounts of interferon-gamma with kinetics much faster than their dermal counterparts at mRNA and protein levels. Such early interferon-gamma production was only observed in the   intra-epidermal   T-cells   resident  in  the  FDE lesions, but not those in the peri-lesional skin. Subsequently, leading to localized epidermal injury.⁽⁸⁾

The diagnosis of FDE is primarily based on the patient's history and clinical picture. In some cases an oral challenge may be done but this is avoided by most physicians, including ourselves, because oral provocation carries a risk of generalized serious drug reactions.^(1,6)  Patch testing has been utilized as an alternative to oral testing, but only positive tests are helpful.⁽¹⁾

In our study, trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole was the major causative agent of FDE, which is consistent with the results of other similar studies.^(6,7,9) According to the sites involved by FDE, the glans penis was the most commonly involved site (58.0%). This is in contrast to other studies,^(6,7) which found the lips to be the most common site for FDE. In the study by Mahboob and Haroon,⁽⁷⁾ the genitalia constituted only 20% of all cases. In our study, genital FDE (in males and females) was mainly induced by trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, which is consistent with the study by Thankappan and Zachariah.⁽⁹⁾ The next common sites of FDE involvement revealed by our study were: the extremities (39.0%), the trunk (20.3%), the lips (6.3%), and the female genitalia (3.1%). Only one patient (1.6%) developed a generalized bullous reaction.

Ciprofloxacin is a considerable offender in our study, causing 3 cases (4.7% of total). This percentage is not seen in previous similar studies.^(6,7)  In 1996, Dhar and Sharma reported 7 cases of ciprofloxacin-induced FDE, and they suggested that ciprofloxacin could become one of the common drugs causing FDE.⁽¹⁰⁾ Norfloxacin-induced FDE has been reported less frequently,⁽¹¹⁾ and may have cross-sensitivity with ciprofloxacin, as seen in one of our cases.⁽¹²⁾

Other drugs implicated in causing FDEs have included lamotrigine,⁽¹³⁾ codeine,⁽¹⁴⁾ and terbinafine,⁽¹⁵⁾ as well as many non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and many antibiotics (such as penicillins, erythromycin, clindamycin and metronidazole).⁽⁷⁾

FDE has been reported in male patients after history of sexual contact with their spouses, who were found to be receiving the same medication to which the male partners were hypersensitive. It is hypothesized that sexual transfer of the drug antigen occurs through the vaginal fluid on the sensitized area of the male genitalia.⁽¹⁶⁾

Fluconazole (a triazole antifungal) is a newly reported causative agent of fixed drug eruption.⁽¹⁷⁾ Additional report from India showed a case of FDE due to cross reaction between two azoles, this was in 27 years old female patient due to fluconazole ingestion , similar eruption and at the same sites was triggered by tinidazole ingestion before 4 years.⁽¹⁸⁾

Finasteride (a competitive inhibitor of a 5 α-reductase enzyme), has been reported recently as a causative agent of solitary penile FDE.⁽¹⁹⁾           

Familial occurrence of FDE has also been reported. Pellicano et al⁽²⁰⁾ suggested a genetic predisposition to FDE and linkage to major histocompatibility class I (HLA-1). In 2001, Ozkaya et al⁽²¹⁾   published a study that gave new evidence for a link between HLA-1 and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole-induced FDE. No familial cases of FDE were present in our study.

The management of fixed drug eruption depends on the severity of the reaction. Of paramount importance is the withdrawal of the offending drug, and its avoidance in the future along with similar drugs in the same drug family, or those with reported cross-sensitivity. For mild cases, withdrawal of the offending drug, with application of mild to moderate topical corticosteroids, and systemic antihistamines are usually sufficient. In severe reactions, the management is similar to other cases of severe allergic reactions, including: intensive supportive, maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance, infection control, systemic corticosteroids, and systemic antihistamines.⁽³⁾

Conclusion

Our study highlighted the common occurrence of FDEs, and the range of causative drugs. They were most commonly encountered with trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, but quinolones were increasingly seen as causative agents for FDEs. Our study also showed that FDE usually presented as solitary lesion, and in terms of body site distribution the genitalia (mainly the glans penis) was the most frequently involved site.

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