Antipsychotics Induced Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) Syndrome: Literature Review and a Report of a Suspected Case Related to Chlorpromazine

Abstract

Introduction/background: Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms reaction (DRESS) syndrome is a serious, potentially life-threatening drug side effect associated with more and more drugs. However, antipsychotics have rarely been involved in such condition. Case Report: We report here a suspected case of chlorpromazine induced DRESS syndrome in a 33-year-old woman with a history of allergic rhinitis and bipolar disorder who has reported an unexplored generalized skin eruption after taking chlorpromazine 10 years before. : Only 24 hours after starting the therapy, the patient developed erythematous skin eruption on her limbs and her trunk with biological abnormalities, including liver enzyme elevation and eosinophilia. : Skin eruption disappeared spontaneously within 3 days after therapy discontinuation and subsequently, biological abnormalities regressed. Patch tests were performed and were positive for chlorpromazine. At same time, we performed a literature review of the DRESS syndrome induced by antipsychotics. No patch tests were performed for those cases. Conclusion: Clinicians should be aware of such clinical features after starting patients on antipsychotics to withdraw the culprit drug as early as possible and avoid further complications.