Stevens Johnson Syndrome History

Stevens Johnson Syndrome derives its name from two people named Stevens and Johnson respectively in the year 1922. They were able to successfully explain the occurrence of a skin disease on two young boys. In the technical terms, Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a disease caused by immunity problems arising due to allergy or hypersensitivity whose reason can be reasoned to consumption of drugs. In rare cases, this disease may lead to fatality, while in the rest; it may cause severe lifestyle changes by barring the patient from indulging in normal day to day activities.

Both studied the conditions and negated the fact that the boys were suffering from hemorrhagic measles as diagnosed by their practitioner at that time. They concluded that the disease had signs of inflammation and puss accumulation look place. They considered it to be more on the lines of Erythema Multiforme. This was a disease that was discovered in the year 1866 by a dermatologist named Ferdinand Von Hebra. However, further studies by the two revealed that here too, the symptoms were different. The condition of the skin was more severe and the patients always suffered from fever.

After examining these two, Stevens believed that they were looking at something totally different. Its causes were unknown but the studies had revealed that it was an infection nevertheless. A lot of controversy erupted when these were published as many expressed that it should be considered a part of Erythema Multiforme. However, this problem was avoided in the late 1980s when everybody agreed to the current stand. Three skin diseases which work on the same lines are as follows:

1) Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN): TEN is one of the most dreaded skin diseases known to man. It is very similar to Stevens Johnson Syndrome with blisters coming on the skin along with peeling of the skin in the later stages. It is terminal with as much as 30% to 40% patients dying from it. The causes are similar with allergy and infection spreading it further.

2) Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS): Another name given to Stevens Johnson Syndrome is EM Major. This disease is characterized by inflammation of the skin and the mucous membrane suffers the most. The elderly are more prone to getting affected by it along with the infants (adults who do not have sufficient immunity are also prone to it).

3) Erythema multiforme (EM): This is a skin disease that is known by red rashes being developed throughout the whole body. There are not many symptoms associated with it and the problem comes into focus when significant damage has been done. Primarily, it is the children and the young ones who are most affected by this disease while the adults are comparatively safer. Compared to the rest of the two stated above, it is less damaging and considered to be mild.

All three of these can be very taxing and give the patient a hard time. As far as the medications are concerned, there are almost none and the disease only has to get better with time.