Early Skin Biopsy Is Helpful for the Diagnosis and Management of Neonatal and Infantile Erythrodermas

The document discusses a study that retrospectively included 72 patients admitted for erythroderma in the first year of life, examining 111 skin biopsies over a 12-year period. The biopsies were analyzed by three pathologists blinded to the clinical diagnosis. The study found that in 57.6% of cases, the pathological diagnosis was in accordance with the clinical diagnosis, and in 11.7% of cases, it was in accordance but other diagnoses had also been proposed. The use of LEKTI antibody, particularly from the year 2000 onwards, improved the diagnosis of Netherton syndrome (NS), with sensitivity and specificity reaching 100%. The study concluded that skin biopsy is a helpful tool for the etiological diagnosis of early erythroderma of infancy, especially for identifying immunodeficiency (ID) and NS, which are among the most severe diseases. This supports the practice of performing an early systematic skin biopsy for better and earlier management of the condition.