Erythroderma: A clinical, etiological and histopathological study at a tertiary care hospital in Karnataka

Erythroderma was described by Hebra in 1868 as a generalised redness of skin. It manifests as extensive erythema and scaling over the body, classically >90% of body surface area. The incidence was estimated by Hasan and Jansen as 1-2 per 100,000 patients. Sehgal and Strivasta reported the incidence from India as 35 per 100,000 dermatologic outpatients. It may be due to a pre-existing dermatosis, drug induced reaction, malignancy and miscellaneous or idiopathic disorder. Among malignancies, lymphomas, including T-cell lymphomas like mycosis fungoides and sezary syndrome are commonly implicated. Skin biopsy is one of the cornerstones of the diagnostic investigations. However, in the setting of erythroderma, the histopathological changes are more subtle and hence difficult to interpret.