Stevens-Johnson syndrome induced by acetazolamide

Acetazolamide is a sulfonamide derivative and carbonic anhydrase inhibitor used to lower intraocular pressure in glaucomatous patients. Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) associated with acetazolamide treatment has been diagnosed in Japanese, Japanese-American and Indian patients. Herein, we report the second Korean case of SJS-TEN associated with acetazolamide treatment. The result of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing of our patient was positive for HLA-B59. According to recent research, HLA-B59 has been detected in SJS caused by metazolamide, which is analogous to acetazolamide. This suggests a possible relationship between genetic background and SJS-TEN-associated acetazolamide treatment. Theretofore, acetazolamide should be prescribed to Korean patients with the same discreet caution.