Anesthetic Management of Atypical Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis in a Six-Month-Old Patient Undergoing Burn Surgery: A Case Report.
Cassidy Chau, Anthony Q Dang, Thong Nguyen
Cureus May 1, 2025 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.83952 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | Six-month-old male with atypical toxic epidermal necrolysis |
| Interventions | extensive burn debridement and grafting surgery prolonged intubation |
| Keywords | Burn resuscitation Fiberoptic intubation Ketamine and dexmedetomidine Lyell's syndrome Stevens-johnson syndrome Infant sedation Burn management |
| Key findings | Atypical TEN in an infant without bullae or sloughing complicates anesthetic planning for burn debridement and grafting. |
Abstract
Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a rare, life-threatening skin condition that involves widespread skin detachment and mucous membrane damage. We present a case of a six-month-old male with atypical TEN transferred from an outside hospital in Mexico to our facility. The patient had widespread full-thickness necrotic wounds but no bullae or sloughing. Since the diagnosis was unclear at the time, it posed a significant challenge to make an appropriate anesthetic plan given the need for prolonged intubation after extensive burn debridement and grafting surgery. This case report highlights the importance of perioperative assessment, induction strategy, airway management, resuscitation, and pain control in an atypical TEN patient.