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Medical Definition of Toxic epidermal necrolysis
1. A syndrome in which a large portion of the skin becomes intensely erythematous with epidermal necrosis, and peels off in the manner of a second-degree burn, often simultaneous with the formation of flaccid bullae, resulting from drug sensitivity or of unknown cause; the level of separation is subepidermal, unlike staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome in which there is subcorneal change. Synonym: Lyell's syndrome. (05 Mar 2000)