Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) is the most life-threatening disease managed by dermatologists. Although SJS/TEN only affects 1 to 5 people per million per year, mortality remains stable at 15%, and to our knowledge, highlevel evidence-based treatment options are lacking. The SJS/TEN meeting 1,2 that was held virtually August 28 and 29, 2021, brought together multidisciplinary clinicians, scientists, and community members to share knowledge, research, stories, and support. In this Viewpoint, we provide our perspective of the successes and gaps in research and clinical care of SJS/TEN that were highlighted at this meeting and propose future opportunities for prioritization and optimization.
Historical Perspective of SJS/TENIn 1922, Stevens and Johnson 3 defined SJS as a syndrome of fever, mucocutaneous lesions, and severe ocular involvement. Although these early cases were assumed to be associated with infection and not drugs, the first reports of frequently fatal bullous dermatitis with mucosal involvement followed the subsequent discovery of phenobarbital, phenytoin, and sulfa antibiotics. In 1956, Lyell 4 proposed the name toxic epidermal necrolysis to unify syndromes characterized histopathologically by epidermal necrosis that clinically showed epidermal detachment. A consensus panel in 1993 considered SJS and TEN to be 1 disease across a spectrum of severity. 5 From the RegiSCAR data, a probable drug cause is identified in 67% of cases of SJS/TEN, possible drug cause in 13%, and unlikely or unidentifiable drug cause in 13%. 1