Pneumonia caused by toxic epidermal necrolysis
- Resource Type
- article
- Authors
- Dominic Doyle; Amy Long; Desmond M. Murphy
- Source
- Respirology Case Reports, Vol 10, Iss 11, Pp n/a-n/a (2022)
- Subject
- ciprofloxacin
pneumonia
toxic epidermal necrolysis
Diseases of the respiratory system
RC705-779
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2051-3380
Abstract A well‐functioning 68 year old gentleman presented to our hospital with a macular rash 2 weeks after starting a course of Ciprofloxacin. There was rapid progression of skin involvement including the mucosa, complicated by pancytopaenia. Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) was suspected and the patient was administered intravenous immunoglobulins and granulocyte colony stimulating factor. TEN was confirmed on skin biopsy and a lymphocyte transformation test demonstrated sensitisation to Ciprofloxacin. The patient developed multifocal pulmonary infiltrates with evidence of pulmonary involvement and probable pneumonia after 1 week and was treated with broad spectrum antibiotics. He also became dysphagic and suffered recurrent aspiration pneumonias. Follow up studies revealed fixed airways obstruction and features of bronchiolitis on computed tomography. This case highlights pulmonary involvement which can become a chronic complication of TEN, itself precipitated by the rare drug cause of Ciprofloxacin.