Medical experts are growing concerned about the occurrence rate of Stevens Johnson Syndrome in connection with the ingestion of Dilantin. While many medications could potentially cause Stevens Johnson Syndrome, many have observed that Dilantin has come up more often in injury reports than other medications.

Dilantin has recently been discovered to cause Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) in some patients, which has garnered mass criticism from the public and medical community. With the concern of SJS, medical experts are looking at every factor to assess whether or not the risks of certain medications are worth keeping on the market.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a rare allergic skin reaction, but remains a tremendous concern among doctors and patients, especially regarding younger or elderly patients. Typically, SJS occurs in adult patients, and normally within the first two weeks of starting a medication. While the reason this reaction occurs in some patients is unknown, some experts believe it is more likely if multiple medications are used together.

If left untreated, SJS could develop into Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), which comes with more dangerous symptoms and may present fatal possibilities to the patient. Both SJS and TEN are considered emergency cases, so patients who are diagnosed are immediately sent into medical care. Due to the nature of the injuries left by the condition, the patients are frequently treated in burn units.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is famously known for leaving purple or reddish skin lesions on various parts of the patient’s body. The lesions can cover up to 30 percent of the skin’s surface area for cases of SJS, where it can go up to 90 percent in cases of TEN. Additionally, the patient will be at risk for internal organ damage and blindness.

Potential symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis include but are not limited to:

• Rash, blisters or red spots on the skin
• Blisters in the mouth, eyes, ears, nose or genital area
• Swelling of eyelids
• Fever or other flu-like symptoms

Overview of Dilantin SJS Complications

Dilantin (Phenytoin) was first approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1953 to treat seizures, and is manufactured by Pfizer Inc. It has since become one of the most popular antiepileptic drugs in the United States. However, it has recently been brought to the attention of the FDA and the rest of the medical community that this drug could impose a serious risk of Stevens Johnson Syndrome to prescribing patients.

This concern eventually led the FDA to urge Pfizer to update Dilantin’s warning label to include potential Stevens Johnson Syndrome development on the warning label in November 2008.  Additionally, data from the FDA announced that patients of Asian ancestry who carry the gene allele HLA-B*1602, may face a significantly increased risk of the Dilantin skin reactions.

Despite the updated label and the data analysis, some Dilantin users continue to experience Stevens Johnson Syndrome injuries. This has led to many lawsuits alleging negligence against Pfizer, as well as any other pharmaceutical company who manufactured a drug which had caused SJS in one or more patients. There are approximately 300 cases of Stevens Johnson Syndrome diagnosed in the United States per year.