Many dermatologic conditions that are seen in medical literature are typically on lighter skin tones making it easier to identify. This can pose a difficult problem in the care of skin of color patients. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of dermatologic manifestations in skin of color patients and the disparities that exist in the medical field. Here, we present the case of a 51-year-old African American male who was hospitalized on a prolonged course of antibiotics found to have drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). Although the initial diagnosis was not made at symptom onset due to the atypical presentation in darker skin tones, the patient improved when the diagnosis was eventually made with cessation of the offending agent and steroid therapy. There is a vital need for continued awareness of the disparities that exist within medical literature and the medical field in regard to skin of color patients.
Keywords: african american; dermatology; dress; drug induced hypersensitivity syndrome; drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms; skin of color; vancomycin-induced dress syndrome.
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