Fixed erythema

Description of the disease

Fixed drug eruption is a drug-induced skin lesion. It is characteristic that each time a certain drug is taken, a rash appears in the same place. Different drugs can cause a rash in the same person.

Causes of the disease

Antimicrobial agents (e.g., antibiotics, etc.);
Pain and fever medications (e.g., phenacetin, etc.);
Medications affecting the cardiovascular system (e.g., reserpine, etc.);
Heavy metals (e.g., arsenic, etc.);
Antiparasitic drugs (e.g., amodiaquine hydrochloride, etc.);
Other medications.

Symptoms

30 minutes to 4-8 hours after taking the drug, one or more bright red or reddish-violet spots appear. Their diameter ranges from several to several millimeters, with clear edges. They most commonly appear on the oral mucosa, genital mucosa, feet, and hands. The affected person may feel itching or burning. The spots disappear over a very different period of time (for some within a few hours, for others within several days). Pigmented spots may remain in their place, which usually disappear within a few weeks. In some cases, blisters, erosions, or crusts may appear at the site of the rash.

Diagnosis

Fixed drug eruption is diagnosed based on clinical symptoms and the fact that a person took a certain drug and then developed a rash.

Treatment

It is necessary to stop taking the drugs that caused the rash.

Source | Author Doctor Nikas Samuolis, reviewed by Prof. Virginijus Šapoka | Vilnius University | Faculty of Medicine | Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Oncology