Stream 1 General Dermatology - Common rashes in children

Topics to be covered in the Certificate Course.

Rubella
 Measles
 Enteroviruses
 Cocksackie virus infections
 Unusual childhood exanthems

When you are a child you get exposed to multiple viruses and you can contract a variety of viral skin rashes. These rashes are known as the childhood viral exanthems. They are numbered one to six but I think that this is a terribly unromantic way of describing these diseases. Many of them have been vaccinated out of existence but you still need to know about them. Most people have a childhood exanthem and get over it without any nasty sequelae but each of these viruses can have some dramatic sequelae associated with them and we will expand on these later. 

Many of these diseases are more aggressive if you get them as an adult rather than as a child. Some such as German measles (or Rubella) are a problem if you are female and get them when you are pregnant because of the effect of the virus on the developing foetus. 

Scarlet Fever is classified as a childhood exanthem but obviously it is not a viral exanthem. It is a streptococcal infection. It is still a big problem particularly in aboriginal children in Australia where it leads to heart and kidney disease. 

Erythema infectiosum is not a particularly dangerous disease if you are a child but if a pregnant women gets it then the foetus can develop a condition called Hydrops. 

The Gianotti Crosti syndrome is sometimes known as the papular acral located rash! That name describes the nature and location of the rash and the fact that the trunk and abdomen are usually clear. Generally the child is well. The exanthem follows on from a variety of preceding viral infections and can take several weeks to resolve. Causes parental anxiety!