Erythema Multiforme: Clinical Spectrum and Immunopathogenesis

Erythema multiforme is an acute, self-limited inflammatory disorder of the skin and mucous membranes with a characteristic histopathology, a tendency for recurrence, and sometimes distinctive clinical appearance. Although initially differentiated from other cutaneous erythemas by Hebra in 1866 [6], the full characterization of erythema multiforme has been slow, due to the tendency to include many poorly characterized toxic erythematous eruptions under this title. Moreover, an array of overlapping terms and eponyms have evolved to describe the variable clinical presentation of the disease spectrum, making accurate definition and classification difficult. In this review, we will discuss the clinical and histologic spectrum as well as immunopathogenesis of erythema multiforme.