Cause of teen's TEN remains a mystery
September 3rd, 2010 by Jennifer Walker-Journey
“For me, just being here alive is a story to tell,” Karyl Bell told WNYT-TV. In October 2009, the then-17-year-old unexpectedly developed a rash on her face. Her tongue swelled and she had trouble swallowing and breathing. Her condition quickly worsened. Red, painful blisters broke out on her body. Lesions in her eyes caused her eyes to swell shut. All doctors could tell her worried mother was to sit by as the reaction ran its course and, “hope for the best.”
Karyl was eventually diagnosed with toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), the most severe form of Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), a rare but life threatening condition in which blisters form on the skin causing it to peel off as if it has been severely burned. SJS and TEN can be fatal. There is no cure, and those who do develop the condition often have lifelong consequences like Karyl, who has to wear sunglasses even indoors because her eyes are now extremely sensitive to light.
While the causes of SJS and TEN remain a mystery, most experts say the condition is an allergic reaction to various over-the-counter and prescription medication. Ibuprofen, antibiotics and even vaccinations have been linked to SJS and TEN. Sometimes the reaction is immediate. But for some people the condition develops days, weeks or even months after the offending medication was taken.
Karyl’s mother says her daughter was healthy and didn’t take medication in the days leading up to her illness. She believes her daughter’s condition was triggered by mold at her high school. Whatever the cause, Karyl says she’s just happy to be alive, and prays that the condition never returns.