Acneiform Rash Caused by an Unlikely Drug: Topiramate
July 2017
in “
Skin appendage disorders
”
TLDR A man got a rare rash from the drug topiramate, which went away after he stopped taking it.
A 35-year-old man developed an acneiform rash diagnosed as atypical Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) syndrome after starting a daily 25 mg dose of topiramate for migraine prevention. He was not on any other medications, and the probability of the rash being related to topiramate was scored as 7 on the Naranjo Adverse Drug Reaction Probability Scale, suggesting a probable connection. The rash resolved after stopping topiramate and treating symptomatically with soap substitutes and skin moisturizers. This case highlights a rare side effect of topiramate, which is generally considered to have fewer side effects than other anticonvulsants, and underscores the importance of reporting adverse drug reactions.
