Extensive Lichenoid Drug Eruption Due to Glyburide: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Lichenoid reactions to sulfonylurea drugs have been reported, albeit infrequently.1 To our knowledge, this is the first case of a generalized lichenoid dermatitis likely induced by the third-generation sulfonylurea hypoglycemic drug glyburide.
Unfortunately, drug-induced and idiopathic LP are clinically and histologically indistinguishable.3 Drug-induced lichenoid reactions from sulfonylureas are too infrequent to be verified epidemiologically. Therefore, the best evidence about them is likely to come from case reports. The strongest case evidence is likely to come from reports of temporal relationships and instances where patients are reexposed to the same or a chemically-related drug. Under usual circumstances where alternatives exist, intentional rechallenge is ethically questionable.
Acknowledgment—The authors gratefully acknowledge the accommodating and expert assistance of the library staff at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Toledo, Ohio.
