Table Differentiating Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome (SSSS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) Feature SSSS TEN Patients affected Infants, young children, and adults who are immunocompromised Older adults Patient history Recent staphylococcal infection Medication use Level of epidermal cleavage (blister formation) * Within the granular cell (outermost) layer of the epidermis Between the epidermis and dermis or at the level of the basal cell * Determined by Tzanck test or by a frozen section of a fresh specimen.