Carbamazepine-induced pseudolymphoma with CD-30 positive cells.

Abstract

A 44-year-old woman known to be allergic to phenytoin was treated with carbamazepine for 1 month and developed fever, lymphadenopathy, pneumonitis, hepatitis, and a morbilliform eruption. A skin biopsy specimen showed atypical lymphocytes in the dermis that were CD-3+, CD-30+, and L26-. T-cell gene rearrangement studies were negative. A diagnosis of anticonvulsant hypersensitivity syndrome with histologic features of a pseudolymphoma was made and her illness quickly improved after carbamazepine was discontinued. This case was typical of the anticonvulsant hypersensitivity syndrome and demonstrated cross-reactivity among the aromatic anticonvulsants. However, to our knowledge, this represents the first report of a carbamazepine-induced hypersensitivity with histologic features of a cutaneous pseudolymphoma, including CD-30+ cells.

• Authors: D L Nathan, D V Belsito
• Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (J Am Acad Dermatol) Vol. 38 Issue 5 Pt 2 Pg. 806-9 (May 1998) ISSN: 0190-9622 [Print] United States
• PMID: 9591791 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anticonvulsants
• Antigens, CD20
• CD3 Complex
• Ki-1 Antigen
• Carbamazepine

Topics

• Adult
• Anticonvulsants (adverse effects)
• Antigens, CD20 (analysis)
• Biopsy
• CD3 Complex (analysis)
• Carbamazepine (adverse effects)
• Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury (etiology)
• Cross Reactions
• Drug Eruptions (etiology)
• Drug Hypersensitivity (etiology)
• Female
• Fever (chemically induced)
• Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte
• Humans
• Ki-1 Antigen (analysis)
• Lymphocytes (pathology)
• Pneumonia (chemically induced)
• Pseudolymphoma (chemically induced, pathology)
• Skin Diseases (chemically induced, pathology)
• Syndrome