Structured Expert Consensus on Actinic Keratosis:Treatment Algorithm Focusing on Daylight PDT

BACKGROUND: A practical and up-to-date consensus among experts is paramount to further improve patient care in actinic keratosis (AK). OBJECTIVES: To develop a structured consensus statement on the diagnosis, classification, and practical management of AK based on up-to-date information. METHODS: A systematic review of AK clinical guidelines was conducted. This informed the preparation of a 3-round Delphi procedure followed by a consensus meeting, which combined the opinions of 16 clinical experts from 13 countries, to construct a structured consensus statement and a treatment algorithm positioning daylight photodynamic therapy (dl-PDT) among other AK treatment options. RESULTS: The systematic review found deficiencies in current guidelines with respect to new AK treatments such as ingenol mebutate and dl-PDT. The Delphi panel established consensus statements across definition, diagnosis, classification, and management of AK. While the diagnosis of AK essentially rests on the nature of lesions, treatment decisions are based on several clinical and nonclinical patient factors and diverse environmental attributes. Participants agreed on ranked treatment preferences for the management of AK and on classifying AK in 3 clinical situations: isolated AK lesions requiring lesion-directed treatment, multiple lesions within a small field, and multiple lesions within a large field, both requiring specific treatment approaches. Different AK treatment options were discussed for each clinical situation. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide practical recommendations for the treatment of AK, which are readily transferable to clinical practice, and incorporate the physician's clinical judgement. The structured consensus statement positioned dl-PDT as a valuable option for patients with multiple AKs in small or large fields

Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions to Antiepileptic Drugs: A Nationwide Registry-Based Study in Korea

PURPOSE: Severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs), including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) to antiepileptic drug (AED), are rare, but result in significant morbidity and mortality. We investigated the major culprit drugs, clinical characteristics, and clinical course and outcomes of AED-induced SCARs using a nationwide registry in Korea. METHODS: A total of 161 patients with AED-induced SCARs from 28 referral hospitals were analyzed. The causative AEDs, clinical characteristics, organ involvements, details of treatment, and outcomes were evaluated. We compared the clinical and laboratory parameters between SJS/TEN and DRESS according to the leading causative drugs. We further determined risk factors for prolonged hospitalization in AED-induced SCARs. RESULTS: Carbamazepine and lamotrigine were the most common culprit drugs causing SCARs. Valproic acid and levetiracetam also emerged as the major causative agents. The disease duration and hospital stay in carbamazepine-induced SJS/TEN were shorter than those in other AEDs (P< 0.05, respectively). In younger patients, lamotrigine caused higher incidences of DRESS than other drugs (P= 0.045). Carbamazepine, the most common culprit drug for SCARs, was associated with a favorable outcome related with prolonged hospitalization in SJS (odds ratio, 0.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.63, P= 0.12), and thrombocytopenia was found to be a risk factor for prolonged hospitalization in DRESS. CONCLUSION: This was the first large-scale epidemiological study of AED-induced SCARs in Korea. Valproic acid and levetiracetam were the significant emerging AEDs causing SCARs in addition to the well-known offending AEDs such as carbamazepine and lamotrigine. Carbamazepine was associated with reduced hospitalization, but thrombocytopenia was a risk factor for prolonged hospitalization. Our results suggest that the clinical characteristics and clinical courses of AED-induced SCARs might vary according to the individual AEDs

Severe cutaneous adverse reactions to anti-tuberculosis drugs in korean patients

Purpose: Anti-tuberculosis drugs (ATDs) can cause severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). Underlying tuberculous infection and co-administration of multiple drugs may contribute to the complexity of ATD-related SCARs. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of ATD-related SCARs. Methods: We analyzed ATD-related SCAR cases in 2010-2015, selected from a web-based Database of the Korean Registry of SCAR. Results: Among 783, 53 patients with ATD-induced SCARs were enrolled, including 12 with SJS/TEN (22.6%) and 41 with DRESS (77.4%). When comparing the ATD and non-ATD groups, the prevalence of DRESS patients was higher in the ATD group than in the non-ATD group (77.4% vs. 45.8%, P &lt; 0.001). Among patients with ATD-related SCARs, those with SJS/TEN were significantly older, had higher intensive care unit admissions, and had higher mortality than those with DRESS (70.5 vs. 50.0 years, P &lt; 0.001; 41.7% vs. 6.1%, P = 0.010; and 33.3% vs. 2.5%, P = 0.003, respectively). ATDs were challenged in 14 cases. The ATD associated most often with SCAR cases was rifampin (81.8%), followed by isoniazid (66.7%), ethambutol (50.0%), pyrazinamide (33.3%). Six patients (42.9%) had hypersensitivity reactions to 2 or more drugs. Conclusions: DRESS was more common among the ATD-related SCAR cases. Although treatment with most ATDs carries the risk of SCAR development, the use of rifampin was most frequently involved in the occurrence of SCARs. Multiple hypersensitivity was frequently observed in ATD-related SCARs