What is Stevens-Johnson syndrome, what causes the severe skin reaction, what are the symptoms and is there a cure?

STEVENS-Johnson syndrome is a skin disorder usually caused by an adverse reaction to medications or an infection.

Here’s everything you need to know about the rare but life-threatening condition.

What is Stevens-Johnson syndrome?

Stevens-Johnsons is a rare condition sparked by an “over-reaction” of the immune system to a trigger such as a mild infection or a medicine.

The syndrome is named after the two doctors who described in the 20th century.

It leads to the peeling and blistering of the skin, surfaces of the eyes, mouth and throat.

The the soft layer of tissue that lines the digestive system from the mouth to the anus, as well as the reproductive organs, known as the mucus membrane are usually affected.

In children it’s usually triggered by a viral infection such as mumps and flu, and less commonly bacterial infections.

For adults, it tends to be an adverse reaction to medication.

Those with a viral infection, a weakened immune system or a family history of Stevens-Johnson syndrome are at higher risk of developing the disorder.

An 18-month-old girl is among the most recent cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

Isabel Olesen, now eight, from Melbourne, Australia, was left completely blind and had to relearn how to walk and talk after contracting the disorder.

A 10-year-old boy was also nearly blinded after suffering Stevens-Johnson after taking over-the-counter medication.

What are the symptoms of Stevens-Johnson syndrome?

Before the symptoms start, many people report feeling generally unwell with flu-like symptoms such as a headache, joint pain and a cough.

After a few days a rash appears – which may look like a circular target – with a darker spot in the middle and lighter around the outside.

It’s not usually itchy and will spread over a number of hours of days before large blisters then develop on the skin, leaving painful sores.

Facial swelling and swollen lips covered in crusty sores are also a common feature.

The mucus membrane inside the mouth and throat may become blistered making it hard to swallow and lead to serious problems with dehydration.

The surface of the eyes can sometimes be affected, which if not treated quickly can caused corneal ulcers.

How is the skin disorder treated?

A dermatologist can diagnose Stevens-Johnson syndrome based on your symptoms and to confirm the diagnosis, will usually carry out a biopsy.

If Stevens-Johnson is confirmed, the next stage will be hospital treatment. If untreated the condition can be life-threatening.

Those affected may need to be treated in an intensive care or burns unit while medics try to establish which medication may have triggered it.

Treatment in hospital may include strong painkillers to help ease the pain of any raw areas of skin and cool, moist compresses.

An unscented moisturiser may be applied regularly and a short course of corticosteroid tablets may be needed to control the skin inflammation.

In some cases, fluids may need to be replaced through a tube passed through the nose and into the stomach.

Once identified and treated the skin reaction will stop and new skin may start to grow after a few days.

The recovery time will vary from person to person, depending on how severe the case was – it can take weeks or months to fully recover.

Afterwards it can cause a number of complications, including skin changes – it may be uneven in colour or scarred – and you could get a secondary skin infection, such as cellulitis.

In some cases, people experience problems with internal organs, eyes and sexual organs.