Pharmacological Reports Copyright © 2013 2013, 65, 399409 by Institute of Pharmacology ISSN 1734-1140 Polish Academy of Sciences Singlecentre20yearsurveyofantiepileptic drug-inducedhypersensitivityreactions BarbaraB³aszczyk1,2,MonikaSzpringer3,Stanis³awJ.Czuczwar4,5, W³adys³awLasoñ6,7 1Faculty of Health Sciences, High School of Economics and Law, Jagielloñska 109 A, PL 25-734 Kielce, Poland 2Private Neurological Practice, Ró¿ana 8, PL 25-729 Kielce, Poland 3Faculty of Health Sciences, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19, PL 25-517 Kielce, Poland 4Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego 8, PL 20-090 Lublin, Poland 5Department of Physiopathology, Institute of Rural Health, Jaczewskiego 2, PL 20-950 Lublin, Poland 6Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smêtna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland 7Department of Drug Management, Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Grzegórzecka 20, PL 31-351 Kraków, Poland Correspondence: Barbara B³aszczyk, e-mail:
[email protected] Abstract: Background: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease which affects about 1% of the human population. There are 50 million pa- tients in the world suffering from this disease and 2 million new cases per year are observed. The necessary treatment with antiepi- leptic drugs (AEDs) increases the risk of adverse reactions. In case of 15% of people receiving AEDs, cutaneous reactions, like maculopapularorerythematouspruriticrash,mayappearwithinfourweeksofinitiatingtherapywithAEDs. Methods: This study involved 300 epileptic patients in the period between September 1989 and September 2009. A cutaneous adverse reaction was defined as a diffuse rash, which had no other obvious reason than a drug effect, and resulted in contacting aphysician. Results: Among 300 epileptic patients of Neurological Practice in Kielce (132 males and 168 females), a skin reaction to at least one AED was found in 30 patients.