Antiepileptic Medication-induced Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions in Hospitalized Children: A Retrospective Study

There are limited data on severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) associated with antiepileptic medications. The current study aims to investigate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of antiepileptic medication-induced SCARs in hospitalized children. This five -year retrospective study was conducted at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. The study included all children with a diagnosis of SCARs secondary to antiepileptic medications as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). In our study SCARs were categorized into three groups: drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), Stevens -Johnson syndrome (SJS)/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and a group with symptoms overlapping between maculopapular eruptions (MPE) and DRESS. Among 259 children with SCARs induced by antiepileptic medications, 199 (76.83%), 42 (16.22%), and 18 (6.95%) had overlapping MPE/DRESS, DRESS, and SJS/TEN, respectively. Phenobarbital was the most common offending drug among SCARs. The multinomial logistic regression model revealed that lymphadenopathy increased DRESS occurrence by 35 times compared to overlapping MPE/DRESS. Girls were at risk of SJS/TEN approximately 6 times more than boys. Age, weight, and mucosal involvement affected hospitalization duration in children with SCARs related to antiepileptic medication. There are some similarities and differences in the clinical and epidemiological features of Iranian children suffering from antiepileptic medication -induced SCARs.