Cutaneous manifestations of measles in AIDS

In immunocompetent patients, infection by the measles (rubeola) paramyxovirus produces fever, cough, coryza, Koplik's spots, and, on the skin, a macular erythema that can become confluent. The erythema has a striking cephalocaudal spread and clearing. The diagnosis of measles on a skin biopsy and the distinction from an erythema multiforme type of drug eruption can be difficult. We studied a skin biopsy from a patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who presented with measles. In contrast to erythema multiforme, the measles biopsy has necrosis of clusters of keratinocytes in the high spinous layer and granular layer of the epidermis, whereas erythema multiforme has necrosis of basal keratinocytes. Multinucleated keratinocytes may or may not be prominent in the measles biopsy. Cytoplasmic swelling of the keratinocytes in the granular layer may be present even when multinucleated cells are sparse. Immunoperoxidase reactivity for measles virus protein is present in intranuclear inclusions and in the cytoplasm of infected upper spinous keratinocytes. There were more cells with positive staining in the biopsy from the AIDS patient than in another biopsy from an immunocompetent patient with measles. The AIDS patient was seronegative for measles throughout the course of the illness. The examination of the skin biopsy can be very important in the diagnosis of measles in AIDS patients or immunocompromised patients who may not develop the usual diagnostic serology.