Update on selected viral exanthems

Viral exanthems are common in childhood and account for a large number of patient visits to pediatric or family medicine clinics. Most exanthems are virtually harmless to the healthy child, but others can be signs of more significant systemic disease. Some exanthems that are benign or self-limited in the healthy child may propose significant risk to pregnant or immunocompromised individuals. Therefore, recognition of exanthems, which may be associated with certain viral illnesses, is important for the primary care provider. For example, prompt recognition of a viral exanthem caused by parvovirus may allow a pregnant female from exposing her fetus to a potentially fatal infection, or, if the exposure has already occurred, may indicate the need for appropriate fetal monitoring. In this manuscript, we review the recent literature pertaining to four characteristic exanthems that are thought to be viral in nature: papular purpuric gloves and socks syndrome; pityriasis rosea; unilateral lateral thoracic exanthem; and Gianotti-Crosti syndrome.