BACKGROUND - Exfoliative dermatitis is a cutaneous syndrome characterized by generalized exfoliation and erythema, which may be result from or be associated with pre-existing skin conditions, systemic diseases or drug reactions. OBJECTIVE - To report the frequency of clinical features and causes associated with exfoliative dermatitis in patients seen at the Dermatology Section of the Hospital Universitário Regional do Norte do Paraná, Universidade Estadual de Londrina. METHODS - Medical records from patients with diagnosis of exfoliative dermatitis seen at the Hospital Universitário Regional do Norte do Paraná were reviewed over a ten-year period. RESULTS - A total of 58 patients with diagnosis of exfoliative dermatitis was assessed. Mean age was 56.89 years. The underlying disorder in 33 patients was a skin disease (psoriasis, 11 cases; contact dermatitis, 9 cases; congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma, 3 cases; seborrheic dermatitis, 5 cases; atopic dermatitis, 3 cases; pityriasis rubra pilaris, 2 cases). Drug reactions were observed in 11 patients. Etiology could not be determined in 14 cases (24%). CONCLUSIONS - In a sample of patients attending a reference dermatology center, exfoliative dermatitis was a rare condition, and in most cases it was related to skin diseases.
Dermatitis, exfoliative; Drug eruptions; Erythema; Psoriasis
