Publications

Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most widely used medications - both by prescription and over the counter. The newer NSAIDs, inhibitors of the cyclo-oxygenase enzyme-2 (COX-2 inhibitors), are fast becoming the drugs of first choice in the treatment of acute pain, chronic pain and most rheumatic conditions. These compounds blunt prostaglandin production through inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) while sparing cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), and have been shown to cause significantly fewer serious gastrointestinal adverse events such as ulceration and bleeding, than the nonselective NSAIDs. Etoricoxib, one of the newer COX-2 inhibitors, has enhanced biochemical COX-2 selectivity over that of the other drugs in this category: rofecoxib and celecoxib. Though, adverse cutaneous effects to celecoxib and rofecoxib have been reported, there has been no report of cutaneous side effects to etoricoxib so far. We report a case of fixed drug eruption and generalized erythema occurring simultaneously following etoricoxib.