An article in the journal Pediatric Rheumatology suggests a possible link between a common arthritis drug and Stevens Johnson Syndrome in children.

The article was focused on using Allopurinol and how it could cause kidney problems in patients, particularly younger patients, but one observation of the researchers was children with kidney problems were more likely to develop potentially-lethal skin reactions, including Stevens Johnson Syndrome.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome, or SJS, is an autoimmune reaction. In autoimmune reactions, the body’s immune system, which normally fights off infections, goes haywire and starts attacking the patient’s own body. In a more familiar autoimmune reaction, the body attacks its own joints, causing rheumatoid arthritis. But in SJS, the body attacks the skin, the largest organ, causing serious SJS symptoms.

SJS often starts with generalized flu-like symptoms. This includes fever, chills, and body aches. However, within hours or days, an SJS rash appears. The painful SJS rash escalates to blisters, sores, and then ulcers. The SJS rash can spread to the eyes, inside of the mouth, and even the surfaces of internal organs. And the most extreme cases of SJS can escalate to a related disorder called toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis, or TEN, is a more extreme form of SJS. Once a patient has TEN, patches of skin die and slough off. This leaves wounds very similar to thermal burns. The damage is so similar that emergency medical physicians often treat TEN in burn wards. Patients with TEN face the same risks as severe burn patients, including dehydration, secondary infection, and hypothermia, since the skin is no longer protecting much of the body from infection, moisture loss, and heat loss.

Many questions remain about SJS and TEN, since both of these disorders are relatively rare. However, nearly all cases of SJS and TEN are caused by reactions to drugs. It is very difficult to predict who will develop SJS or TEN from what drug. There appears to be a genetic component in some cases, but this does not appear to be a universal explanation, as many with these genetic traits never develop SJS and many with SJS do not have the suspect genes. Though these reactions are relatively rare, individuals who develop SJS can have their lives devastated. This can lead to SJS lawsuits.

SJS lawsuits allege that drug makers have not done enough to protect the general public from the risk of SJS and TEN. Such lawsuits allege that drug makers are aware of the risk of SJS and TEN, but have deliberately downplayed these risks, endangering the public. SJS lawsuits typically seek to recoup the cost of medical care, lost wages, and the cost of the lawsuit.