Erythroderma: A Retrospective Study of 212 Patients Hospitalized in a Tertiary Center in Lower Silesia, Poland

Abstract

Erythroderma is a condition characterized by erythema affecting at least 90% of the skin surface area. It can be caused by various underlying conditions. Due to nonspecific clinical and laboratory findings, determining the cause may pose a challenge. In the retrospective study, we identified 212 patients hospitalized for erythroderma in the Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology at Wroclaw Medical University between January 2012 and March 2022. Clinical, laboratory, and histopathological features, as well as the management of patients, were studied. The median age of adults was 61 years (IQR = 47–68). The most common causes of erythroderma were psoriasis (n = 49, 24.01%), followed by atopic dermatitis (AD) (n = 27, 13.23%), and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) (n = 27, 13.23%). Despite laboratory tests and histopathological examination, the etiology of erythroderma remained undetermined in 39 cases (19.12%). In 70.59% of patients, it was the first episode of erythroderma, while 29.41% experienced a recurrent episode. Regardless of the etiology of erythroderma, patients were most frequently treated with systemic antihistamines (146 cases, 71.57%) and systemic steroids (132 cases, 64.71%). Patients with idiopathic erythroderma constitute the greatest diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, requiring particularly thorough evaluation.