The rash of summertime exanthems

Key Points

The summer months within any pediatric practice or hospital, while traditionally less busy, can bring a host of complaints. Among the most common are summertime exanthems. Although the majority of these rashes will resolve on their own, some may pose more of a threat. The challenges to the clinician then become how to effectively distinguish innocent exanthems from those that are not, and when to rule out a viral etiology. This article proposes an algorithm that may help guide you through these dilemmas as the summertime exanthems roll in.

Learning from examples

Diagnosis: Enteroviral exanthem