An exanthem is a widespread rash occurring on the outside of the body and usually occurring in

children A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

. An exanthem can be caused by toxins,

drug A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...

s, or microorganisms, or can result from

autoimmune disease An autoimmune disease is a condition arising from an abnormal immune response to a functioning body part. At least 80 types of autoimmune diseases have been identified, with some evidence suggesting that there may be more than 100 types. Nearly a ...

. The term exanthem is from the Greek el, ἐξάνθημα, translit=exánthēma, lit=a breaking out, label=none. It can be contrasted with enanthems which occur inside the body, such as on mucous membranes.

Infectious exanthem

In 1905, the Russian-French physician Léon Cheinisse (1871–1924), proposed a numbered classification of the six most common childhood exanthems.David M. Morens. Fifth Disease: Still Hazy After All These Years
/ref> Of these six "classical" infectious childhood exanthems, four are viral. Numbers were provided in 1905. The four viral exanthema have much in common, and are often studied together as a class. They are:

Scarlet fever Scarlet fever, also known as Scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'' a Group A streptococcus (GAS). The infection is a type of Group A streptococcal infection (Group A strep). It most commonly affects childr ...

, or "second disease", is associated with the bacterium '' Streptococcus pyogenes''. Fourth disease, also known as "Dukes' disease" is a condition whose existence is not widely accepted today. It was described in 1900 and is postulated to be related to the bacterium ''

Staphylococcus aureus ''Staphylococcus aureus'' is a Gram-positive spherically shaped bacterium, a member of the Bacillota, and is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin. It is often positive ...

''. In 1979 and 2001 a possible "seventh diease" was postulated following reports of a condition in Japan also referred to as acute febrile infantile

mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome A mucocutaneous junction, or mucocutaneous boundary, is a region of the body in which mucosa transitions to skin. Mucocutaneous zones occur in animals, at the body orifices. In humans, mucocutaneous junctions are found at the lips, nostrils, conjun ...

(MCLS). Many other common viruses apart from the ones mentioned above can also produce an exanthem as part of their presentation, though they are not considered part of the classic numbered list: * Varicella zoster virus (

chickenpox Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is a highly contagious disease caused by the initial infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV). The disease results in a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which eventually scab ...

shingles Shingles, also known as zoster or herpes zoster, is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a localized area. Typically the rash occurs in a single, wide mark either on the left or right side of the body or face. ...

) *

Mumps MUMPS ("Massachusetts General Hospital Utility Multi-Programming System"), or M, is an imperative, high-level programming language with an integrated transaction processing key–value database. It was originally developed at Massachusetts Gener ...

* rhinovirus (the common cold) *

unilateral laterothoracic exanthem __NOTOC__ Unilateralism is any doctrine or agenda that supports one-sided action. Such action may be in disregard for other parties, or as an expression of a commitment toward a direction which other parties may find disagreeable. As a word, ''un ...

of childhood * Some types of

viral haemorrhagic fever Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a diverse group of animal and human illnesses in which fever and hemorrhage are caused by a viral infection. VHFs may be caused by five distinct families of RNA viruses: the families ''Filoviridae'', ''Flav ...

are also known to produce a systemic rash of this kind during the progression of the disease. * Tick-borne diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever produce a rash that may become extensive enough so as to be classified as exanthemous in as many as 90% of children with the disease.https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/r/rr5504.pdf

References

External links

Overview
at About.com
Definition at MedTermsDifferential diagnosis

Dermatology Quiz
Includes photo, diagnosis, and treatment of unilateral laterothoracic exanthem (ULE). {{Exanthema Dermatologic terminology

Infectious exanthem

See also

References

External links