Aim. Hypersensitivity reactions to sulphonamides have never been investigated in Lithuania so far. The aim of this study was to investigate adverse reactions of sulfonamide drugs in patients treated at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics.
Material and methods. 1825 ENDA questionnaires filled out from 2000 to 2016 year were analysed. Age and gender relationship was studied, clinical forms of allergic reactions caused by sulfonamides and other drug groups were compared. Patch testing and provocative oral test were done. Data analysis was performed using statistical software IBM SPSS Statistics v20.
Results. 1825 questionnaires were filled out: 279 by men and 1546 by women. The average age of the respondents was 49±15. 22 (1.21%) patients had clinical history of drug allergy to sulfonamides: 20 (1.09%) females and 2 (0.71%) males. 17 (77.27%) patients had reactions to antibacterial sulphonamides, 5 (22.73%) - to other sulfonamide drugs. Average age of patients with clinical history to sulphonamides was 54±14 years (female - 54±14, male - 52), p=0.827. The difference between age and sex of all patients with suspected drug hypersensitivity and patients with clinical history of hypersensitivity to sulfonamides, was not statistically significant (p=0.083 and p=0.416, respectively).
16 patients experienced maculopapular exanthema. 3 cases of urticaria, 2 cases of itching and one case for each of these symptoms - vasculitis, bronchospasm, bladder, fever, hoarseness, nausea and dizziness have been reported. 4 patients were further investigated for sulfonamide hypersensitivity with culprit drug. Two patients’ results obtained by patch test were negative. The other two pafients’ results were positive: one by patch test with, and another one by oral provocation test.
Conclusion. Adverse reactions to sulfonamides were rare. The most common clinical reaction was maculopapular exanthema. Significant difference of age and sex in sulfonamides group compared to other drugs reactions was not reported.
