Dermatology

Childhood absence epilepsy is distinct from partial epilepsy and is often misdiagnosed as ADD/ADHD. It is one of the most common types of pediatric seizure.

A 5-year-old boy was brought to the emergency department by his parents because of a rash that covered his entire body. The rash had started 2 days earlier, initially on the boy’s face, abdomen, and legs and had spread to his back, buttocks, and hands. There was a 1-day history of tactile fever when the child was sent home from school. He had no sick contacts and his immunizations were up-to-date. He had no significant medical history.

This distribution of an inflammatory disorder in a very young child almost always indicates atopic dermatitis. The family history of asthma suggests the atopic diathesis.

You are called from your office to the nursery to see a healthy newborn with a diffuse facial eruption. Her mother, who had a normal pregnancy, labor, and delivery, has a history of Sjogren's syndrome.

Jacquet’s dermatitis a rare, severe variant of irritant diaper dermatitis, presents with punched-out erosions or ulcerations with crater-like borders.

The history and lesional morphology are virtually pathognomonic for a dental sinus. Radiographic examination revealed an apical dental abscess that communicated with the skin via a sinus tract.

What's your diagnosis? More details here...

Erythema and periumbilical swelling led to concern about bacterial infection in a neonate.

Antibiotic side effect? Diffuse abdominal pain, vomiting, and anorexia led to this initial misdiagnosis in an adolescent male. The full story, here.

This lump on the back of a neonate was noted shortly after birth and had been expanding. What is it?

This rash arose a week after a child began to compain of chills, nausea, and a sore throat. What does this look like to you?

This rash arose a week after a 6-year-old boy complained of chills, nausea, and sore throat. WHat's the cause?

Abnormal pigmentation, nail dystrophy, and leukoplakia may signal dyskeratosis congenita.

The incidence of childhood melanoma is increasing. There is evidence that cumulative exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun in the first 18 years of life contributes to the development of future skin cancers.

The mother of a 13-year-old boy arrives in your office with her son for an urgent visit. She was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma last week, and her mother died from disseminated melanoma 2 years ago.

Poison ivy, oak, or sumac? What is this "itchy rash" that appeared 2 days after the patient cleared some "weeds" from the yard. What should be done about it?

Any itchy penile rash should immediately suggest scabies. The latter also typically involves the hands, especially the interdigital webspaces and the volar aspect of the wrist.

You are called to the emergency department to evaluate a 15-month-old child with a "burn" on his foot.

Persistent cough and bronchitis are common, and normal, among children. Here are some home treatments I have recommended.

A pigmented lesion present since birth prompted the parents of this 3-year-old to seek medical care. They noted recent changes: the development of “bumps” in a formerly “flat” lesion.

Gradual alterations in all 20 nails prompted this teenager to seek care. He had no associated symptoms. He had not experienced hair loss, nor any other cutaneous or scalp lesions.

The mother of a 17-day-old boy with Down syndrome calls the physician over the weekend worried about increasing swelling, redness, warmth, and yellowish-brown drainage from the umbilicus over the last 8 hours.

This 4-year-old boy returned home after a day at a small private daycare with a bite mark on his forearm.

This child presented with persistent fever, cough, and worsening rash of 5 days’ duration. The rash had spread to the neck, chest, back, and arms. What does this look like to you?

A 9-year-old girl is brought by her mother because of the acute onset of a facial rash. There is no associated itching, and the child is, and has been, otherwise healthy. What diagnoses would you consider?