Ocular Manifestations of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis

Abstract

Steven-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are rare and sometimes life-threatening hypersensitivity mucocutaneous disease triggered mostly by medication and infections Major involving tissues are the mucous membranes of oral, gastrointestinal, respiratory, integument, and gynecologic tissues. Even after recovering from skin problems without sequelae, survivors can have serious ocular complications leading to blindness despite local and systemic therapy. There is no definite effective systemic and local treatment for SJS/TEN. Early detection and aggressive treatment are important for the long-term prognosis of the eye. Eyelid margin and palpebral conjunctiva and fornix should be checked thoroughly to detect the cicatrical changes that make chronic ocular surface failure such as limbal cell deficiency and complete ocular surface keratinization. Amniotic membrane transplantation and cultivated oral mucosal graft are beneficial to reduce the risk of ocular surface failure.