Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis: report of 12 cases and literature review

Abstract

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis is an acute pustular eruption occurring after infection and/or drug ingestion, with spontaneous cure after a single eruption. To communicate a series of cases of acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis. A retrospective analysis was performed on cases of acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis, observed between 1993 and 2006 at the Dermatology Department, Hospital General de Occidente, Jalisco, Mexico. Twelve patients were included, with a predominance of male patients and a mean age of 28 years. The most common cause was drugs, detected in 83% of cases, and most of these were a result of anticonvulsants and antimicobials. The most frequent symptoms were itching, present in all cases, and fever, present in 92% of cases. Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis is considered to be a distinct clinical and histopathologic entity. Because of its self-resolving character, early recognition can help to avoid unnecessary diagnostic studies and treatments.