Generality
Exanthematous diseases are all those infectious diseases, both viral and bacterial in nature, which cause a typical rash accompanied by a number of other symptoms, such as: fever, malaise, lack of appetite, headache, abdominal pain, irritability and muscle pain.
Physical examination and medical history (or medical history) are often sufficient to diagnose exanthematous diseases.
Treatment depends on the type of exanthematous disease in progress: the most common viral exanthematous diseases mostly involve symptomatic therapy; the exanthematous diseases of bacterial origin, on the other hand, require a therapy based on antibiotics, to fight the bacteria infecting the organism.
What are exanthematous diseases?
Exanthematous diseases are those morbid conditions, of infectious origin, usually viral, which cause a typical skin rash (called exanthema or rash); this "skin rash" is accompanied by a series of other manifestations, such as: fever, state of malaise and loss of appetite.
MAIN EXANTHEMATIC DISEASES
The exanthematous diseases par excellence are:
- Measles
- Rubella
- Chickenpox
- Scarlet fever
- The fourth disease
- The fifth disease
- The sixth disease
These conditions are very common and well known.
LESS KNOWN EXAMINATION DISEASES
Less common and / or known than the previous ones, but still exanthematous diseases are:
- The cheering
- Syphilis
- L "AIDS or HIV
- The "hands feet mouth" disease
- Smallpox
- Viral hepatitis
- Infectious mononucleosis
- Papular acrodermatitis or Gianotti-Crosti syndrome
- Erythema multiforme
- Papulo-purpuric syndrome "gloves and socks"
- Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis
- Pityriasis rosea
- The toxic shock syndrome
- Pseudo-burn skin syndrome or staphylococcal burn skin syndrome
- Kawasaki's syndrome
- Pneumonia from Mycoplasma or atypical pneumonia
- Rickettsiosis
EPIDEMIOLOGY
The exanthematous diseases par excellence are morbid conditions that usually affect individuals of young or very young age.
The particular predisposition of very young subjects to contract the most common exanthematous diseases is essentially linked to two factors: the immune system not yet fully developed and efficient, and the high contagiousness of the triggering infectious agents, which increases the risk of contagion for those who live in communities such as schools or kindergartens.
ORIGIN OF THE TERM ESANTEMA AND DERIVATIVES
The term exanthema derives from the Greek word "exanthema' (ἐξάνθημα), which means "burst", but also "vent".
A rash is a skin-based rash, much like a "volcanic eruption (hence the use of the term" rash "to define a rash).
Causes
The cause of many exanthematous diseases is viral, that is, it is a virus that determines the morbid condition.
However, it is good to remember that there are exanthematous diseases due to bacteria and exanthematous diseases whose triggering infectious agents are, at the moment, unknown (they could be viruses, bacteria or other).
Symptoms and Complications
The rash that accompanies exanthematous diseases can present itself in various ways: with patches of different sizes, with small spots, with skin redness (erythema), with itching, with blisters and / or with papules.
The characteristics of the rash they depend on the triggering infectious agent, therefore on the type of exanthematous disease.
To learn more about the characteristics of the rash of the most common exanthematous diseases:
- Measles
- Rubella
- Scarlet fever
- Chickenpox
ASSOCIATED EVENTS
As stated in the definition of exanthematous diseases, the presence of these morbid conditions includes, in addition to the exanthema, also a number of other manifestations or disorders.
The manifestations associated with the rash include:
- Fever
- Malaise
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal pain
- Irritability
- Soreness or actual muscle pain
Similarly to the rash skin, the aforementioned symptoms and signs also depend on the type of exanthematous disease in progress.
SEATS MOST AFFECTED
The rash that characterizes exanthematous diseases can affect any part of the human body.
However, it should be noted that there are anatomical areas more affected than others, such as: the face, the trunk (i.e. chest, belly and back) and the extremities (i.e. hands and feet).
A "USEFUL CLASSIFICATION
Doctors have thought of classifying some exanthematous diseases based on where the rash usually begins.
This way of proceeding led to the following scheme:
- Exanthematous diseases whose rash tends to start from the face:
- Measles
- Rubella
- Fifth disease
- Scarlet fever
- Exanthematous diseases whose rash tends to start from the trunk:
- Chickenpox
- Sixth disease
- Exanthematous diseases whose rash tends to start from the extremities:
- Papulo-purpuric syndrome "gloves and socks"
- Hand foot mouth disease
The lack of inclusion, in this scheme, of various exanthematous diseases is due to the fact that these tend to begin, indiscriminately, in the trunk, face and / or extremities of the limbs.
COMPLICATIONS
Exanthematous diseases can lead to various complications, some of which are also particularly serious and with permanent outcomes.
For example, measles can cause otitis media, pneumonia, diarrhea and convulsions with more than moderate frequency; very rarely, it can give rise to severe and sometimes fatal forms of encephalitis (1 case of measles in 5,000 is fatal due to an "encephalitis).
Rubella is usually a mildly aggressive infection, which however can pose a serious danger to adults, especially pregnant women. Like measles, rubella can also induce encephalitis.
Scarlet fever can cause ear infections, throat abscesses, sinusitis, pneumonia, meningitis, bone or joint problems, liver damage, kidney damage, and rheumatic fever with associated heart disease. are very rare).
To learn more about the complications related to exanthematous diseases, readers can consult the articles here (fourth disease), here (fifth disease) and here (sixth disease).
Diagnosis
Generally, to diagnose exanthematous diseases, doctors only resort to physical examination and medical history (or clinical history), as observation and evaluation of the symptomatological picture are often rich in fundamental information.
A saliva test (swab) and blood tests are performed only in cases of doubt.
Treatment
For the most common viral exanthematous diseases, treatment is generally symptomatic.
Doctors define as symptomatic the treatments aimed at improving the symptomatological picture, therefore the therapies that aim to alleviate the manifestations of the disease in progress.
Returning therefore to the most common viral exanthematous diseases, the symptomatic remedies for this type of conditions consist of: rest, taking paracetamol (to lower fever), application on the skin of emollients (to soothe some symptoms of the rash) and antihistamines ( to cope with intense itching).
For bacterial exanthematous diseases, such as scarlet fever, the situation is slightly different and the treatment is causal, i.e. aimed at treating the causes.
In these situations, therefore, the therapy consists of antibiotic drugs, the purpose of which is to eliminate the bacterial colonies infesting the organism.
To know more:
- Medicines for the treatment of measles
- Drugs for the treatment of rubella
- Medicines for the treatment of chickenpox
- Medicines for the treatment of scarlet fever
- Medicines for the treatment of the sixth disease
SPECIAL CASES
Severe exanthematous diseases and / or with frequent unpleasant consequences, such as AIDS or typhus, require targeted treatments and the observance of important precautions, to avoid the contagion of other people.
For more severe viral exanthematous diseases, therapy involves the administration of antiviral drugs.
Prevention
Today, several exanthematous diseases are preventable through specific vaccines.
Among the exanthematous diseases par excellence, those for which there is an effective vaccination are: measles, rubella and chicken pox (MMR vaccine and MMRV vaccine).
Prognosis
The prognosis for exanthematous diseases varies according to the severity of the ongoing exanthematous disease.
The exanthematous diseases par excellence generally have a positive prognosis. Nonetheless, doctors recommend, where possible, to provide the appropriate vaccinations anyway.
Exanthematous diseases, such as AIDS or smallpox, are notoriously inauspicious.
