Identifying the incidence of rash, Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis in patients taking lamotrigine: a systematic review of 122 randomized controlled trials

ABSTRACT Lamotrigine is an antiepileptic drug used for the treatment of epilepsy, bipolar disorder and numerous off-label uses. The development of rash significantly affects its use. The most concerning of these adverse reactions is Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis. We performed a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Romi Bloom, Kyle T. Amber
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Dermatologia 2017-02-01
Series:Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/pdf/abd/v92n1/0365-0596-abd-92-01-0139.pdf
Description
Summary:ABSTRACT Lamotrigine is an antiepileptic drug used for the treatment of epilepsy, bipolar disorder and numerous off-label uses. The development of rash significantly affects its use. The most concerning of these adverse reactions is Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis. We performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials using lamotrigine as a monotherapy to quantify the incidence of cutaneous reactions, particularly Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis. Of a total of 4,364 papers regarding lamotrigine, 122 studies met our inclusion and exclusion criteria. In total, 18,698 patients were included with 1,570 (8.3%) of patients experiencing an adverse dermatologic reaction. The incidence of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis was 0.04%.
ISSN:0365-0596