Table 1.
Most common clinical features of DRESS syndrome and percentages of organ involvement
| Fever (>38°C) | 86.5% | (38) |
| Acute Rash | 85% | (38) |
| Facial Swelling with periorbital involvement | 27% | (38) |
| Lymphadenopathy | 70% | (38) |
| Eosinophilia | 60-80% | (29, 30, 38) |
| Liver: Hepatomegaly and/or increase liver enzymes (AST/ALT) and/or hyperbilirubinemia; elevated Alkaline phosphatase (30) |
51-84% | (35, 36, 40-41) |
| Kidney: Elevation in creatinine Decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) Proteinuria Haematuria *Allopurinol is most commonly implicated with renal involvement (36) |
11-57% | (35, 40-41) |
| Lungs: Interstitial pneumonitis Pneumonia Pleural effusion Acute respiratory distress Syndrome (ARDS) *Minocycline, Allopurinol, Abacavir are most commonly implicated with lung involvement (26, 37) |
2.6-5% | (29, 36) |
| Non specific Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Colitis Diarrhoea with or without electrolyte abnormalities |
8% | (35, 42) |
| Heart: Late onset Myocarditis (Troponin and CKMB elevated) | 4-27% | (43,44) |
| Tachycardia, arrhythmias, chest pain, non specific ECG changes, gross ST segment, elevation or depression, decrease in LV ejection fraction * Ampicillin is most commonly implicated with heart involvement |