Abstract
Cutaneous adverse drug reactions are undesirable cutaneous changes caused by medications.
Drug eruptions can mimic a wide range of dermatoses that include exanthematous (morbilliform),
urticarial, pustular, bullous, papulosquamous, or granulomatous lesions, and sometimes
these eruptions may present with annular, polycyclic, or polymorphous configurations.
The correct identification of a cutaneous drug eruption depends on a high index of
suspicion, detailed medication exposure history, chronologic evaluation of the causal
relationships between drug exposures and eruptions, and the exclusion of other infectious
or idiopathic diseases. Most drug eruptions are annoying but self-limited, usually
resolving after the withdrawal of the causative agents. Rarely, patients have severe
cutaneous adverse reactions, such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis,
and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), which are potentially
lethal adverse drug reactions that involve the skin and mucous membranes and may also
damage internal organs. Prompt recognition of the alarming signs of severe cutaneous
adverse reactions and providing adequate treatment may thus be life-saving. We present
the main clinical presentations, histopathology, possible implicated medications,
and treatment of cutaneous adverse drug reactions that can present in annular configurations.
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Published online: December 30, 2021
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