[Febrile eruptions in systemic diseases in children]

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Published on: September 23, 2022

D Hamel-Teillac1, C Bodemer

  • 1Service de dermatologie, Hôpital Necker-Enfants malades, Paris.

La Revue Du Praticien
|October 27, 1997
PubMed

Insights

Systemic diseases can cause skin lesions in children. When fever and rash appear, infectious causes are considered first, but persistent symptoms may indicate systemic illness, where skin manifestations are key diagnostic clues.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Dermatology
  • Internal Medicine

Background:

  • Systemic diseases frequently manifest with cutaneous lesions.
  • Differentiating between infectious and systemic causes of pediatric rash and fever is clinically challenging.
  • Cutaneous symptoms can be crucial in diagnosing systemic diseases when initial presentations are non-specific.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the diagnostic significance of cutaneous lesions in children with systemic diseases.
  • To emphasize the importance of considering systemic illness when infectious disease workup is negative.
  • To guide clinicians in utilizing dermatological findings for accurate diagnosis.

Main Methods:

  • Review of clinical presentations of children with systemic diseases and cutaneous manifestations.
  • Analysis of diagnostic pathways for pediatric rash and fever.
  • Correlation of specific skin lesions with underlying systemic conditions.

Main Results:

  • Cutaneous lesions are common in acute systemic diseases presenting with fever and malaise.
  • Non-specific biological tests may not aid in early diagnosis of systemic diseases.
  • Skin manifestations provide critical clues for identifying the correct diagnosis.

Conclusions:

  • Cutaneous symptoms are invaluable in the diagnosis of systemic diseases in children.
  • Systemic diseases should be suspected in pediatric patients with unexplained rash and fever unresponsive to anti-infective treatments.
  • Dermatological assessment is essential for timely and accurate diagnosis.

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