Acute Localized Exanthematous Pustulosis (ALEP): Review of Literature with Report of Case Caused by Amoxicillin-Clavulanic Acid

• Published in: Dermatology and therapy Vol. 7; no. 4; pp. 563 - 570
• Main Authors: Villani, Alessia, Baldo, Antonello, De Fata Salvatores, Gaia, Desiato, Vincenzo, Ayala, Fabio, Donadio, Carlo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cheshire Springer Healthcare 01-12-2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Case Report; Dermatology; Internal Medicine; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Penicillin; Plastic Surgery; Quality of Life Research; Exanthematous pustulosis; Corticosteroids; Sterile pustules; ALEP; Hypersensitivity reaction; AGEP; Amoxicillin–clavulanic acid
• ISSN: 2193-8210; 2190-9172
• DOI: 10.1007/s13555-017-0206-1

Acute localized exanthematous pustulosis (ALEP) is a localized form of acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis, characterized by acute onset of multiple nonfollicular, pinhead-sized, sterile pustules following drug administration. Antibiotics, especially β-lactams and macrolides, have been implicated in the majority of cases, although eruption after nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and many other medications has also been reported. Skin reaction arises quickly within a few hours, resolving rapidly within a few days without treatment, and it is usually accompanied by fever and neutrophilic leukocytosis. We report herein all cases of ALEP described in literature, adding the case of a 35-year-old woman admitted to our hospital with outbreak of erythematous pustules on her face, neck, and chest after amoxicillin–clavulanic acid treatment.