Efficacy and safety of cyclosporine in Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis

: Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are rare but life threatening cutaneous reactions that are most commonly caused by exposure to medications. This review assesses the efficacy and safety of cyclosporine therapy for SJS, TEN, and SJS/TEN overlap. A literature review was conducted in PubMed using the MeSH terms TEN, SJS, and cyclosporine. Five case series and one meta-analysis were analyzed. From review of the existing literature, cyclosporine appears to not only have a mortality benefit in the treatment of SJS/TEN, but also a relatively safe side effect profile.