Cyclosporine in toxic epidermal necrolysis: a brief review of the emerging therapeutic modality

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a severe life-threatening adverse drug reaction that predominantly involve the skin and mucous membranes, and is associated with high mortality (25-35% or even higher) and with various long term sequelae. There is no universally accepted treatment for TEN, but key elements of management include rapid diagnosis, identification and interruption of the culprit drug, evaluation of the prognosis using SCORTEN, specialized supportive care ideally in an intensive care unit, and consideration of immunomodulating agents. Cyclosporine has recently emerged as a promising immunomodulating agent in the management of TEN and we have performed a brief review of evidence highlighting its role in TEN management.