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Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
A 40-year-old man presents with a rash, oral lesions, and vision problems for 5 days. He says the rash started as a burning feeling on his face and the upper part of his torso, but soon red spots appeared in that same distribution. The spots grew in size and spread to his upper extremities. The patient says the spots are painful but denies any associated pruritus. He says the painful oral lesions appeared about the same time as the rash. For the past 3 days, he also says he has been having double vision and dry, itchy eyes. He reports that he had a mild upper respiratory infection for a few days that preceded his current symptoms. The patient denies any chills, hematuria, abdominal or chest pain, or similar symptoms in the past. Past medical history is significant for a severe urinary tract infection diagnosed 3 weeks ago for which he has been taking trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The vital signs include: temperature 38.3℃ (101.0℉), blood pressure 110/60 mm Hg, respiratory rate 20/min, and pulse 108/min. On physical examination, the patient has severe painful erosions of the oral mucosa. There are multiple fluid-filled vesicles and bullae averaging 3 mm in diameter with a surrounding erythematous ring that involve only the upper torso and extensor surfaces of upper extremities. Several of the lesions have ruptured, resulting in sloughing off of the epidermal layer. There is a prominent conjunctival injection present. Ophthalmic examination reveals mild bilateral corneal abrasions without any evidence of frank ulceration. Laboratory findings are significant for the following:
White blood cell (WBC) count 8,500/mm3
Red blood cell (RBC) count 4.20 x 106/mm3
Hematocrit 41.5%
Hemoglobin 14.0 g/dL
Platelet count 215,000/mm3
C-reactive protein (CRP) 86 mg/L
Urine and blood cultures are pending. Which of the following would confirm the most likely diagnosis in this patient?
 
assistant
Biopsy and histopathologic analysis of skin lesions