Video - Viral exanthems of childhood: Pathology review

Viral exanthems of childhood are skin rashes that often affect children, and include varicella, hand-foot-mouth disease, roseola infantum, measles, rubella, and erythema infectiosum. Each has distinct symptoms and is caused by a different virus.

Varicella or chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It causes flu-like symptoms and a vesicular rash that spreads to the extremities and face. Measles caused by the measles virus leads to a high fever and a maculopapular rash that spreads in a cephalocaudal progression. There is also rubella caused by the rubella virus, which leads to flu-like symptoms and a maculopapular rash that spreads cephalocaudally, and can be transmitted by a pregnant individual to the fetus via the placenta.

Next is Hand-foot-mouth disease caused by the virus Coxsackievirus group A, which results in flu-like symptoms followed by a vesicular rash that begins in the mouth. Roseola infantum, which is human herpesvirus 6, presents with a high fever and a rose-colored maculopapular rash. There is also Erythema infectiosum caused by parvovirus B19, which presents with flu-like symptoms and a characteristic "slapped-cheek" rash, and can cause anemia in individuals with certain blood disorders or fetal anemia if contracted during pregnancy.