Cortisone in Treating Stevens-Johnson Syndrome*

Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis: a 20‐year single‐center experience

“…Despite many debates about the systemic treatment options in SJS and TEN, maintenance of the fluid and electrolyte balance, and an aseptic environment, and the provision of topical antiseptics and air body warmers are well known and widely accepted . Treatment with high doses of SC in the initial stages of disease has been a well‐known practice since 1951 . To this date, there have been no randomized, blinded trials proving the efficacy of SC and as a result, opinions on the optimal dosage and duration of treatment differ.…”

Corticosteroids in Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis

“…Corticosteroids are a class of medications that have been long used for their immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effects for treatment of a wide spectrum of disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. 15 It has been suggested that the first known use of steroids for the treatment of SJS was reported in 1951 by Bleier and Schwartz 16 in several cases of SJS with severe ocular manifestations. It was reported that these patients achieved significant improvement in their symptoms with the administration of cortisone or adrenocorticotropic hormone.…”

Controversy: Are Systemic Steroids Indicated in the Treatment of Erythema Multiforme?

“…The use of corticosteroids in the treatment of EM dates back to 1951. In that year two case reports described excellent responses to either cortisone or adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in patients with severe ocular manifestations of EM major (8,9). This therapy was attempted on an experimental basis in these two patients because concomitant studies had been published citing the effectiveness of ACTH in treating inflammatory diseases of the eye (10,11).…”