Case history / examination
A 52-year-old woman admitted to our hospital with suspected TEN. Her symptoms had begun five days earlier following two weeks of sulfasalazine treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Initial symptoms included fever and stinging eyes followed by dusky red macular and flat atypical target lesions that had first appeared on her palms and sole with rapid progression to more than 70% of her body surface (Fig. 1). Erythema and erosions of the buccal, ocular, and genital mucosae were present. Both Nikolsky and Asboe-Hansen signs were positive. Tense blisters were observed on her palms and soles (Fig. 2). The clinical diagnosis of TEN necrolysis was made.