Scarlet fever
From IDWiki
Background
- Caused by pyrogenic exotoxins (erythrogenic toxins) released by Streptococcus pyogenes that can be associated with potentially any streptococcal infection
Clinical Manifestation
- Most commonly associated with streptococcal pharyngitis, with fever, malaise, and a sore throat
- Rash appears on day 1 or 2 of illness, starting from trunk spreading to extremities
- Appears as a diffuse erythema or erythroderma
- Blanchable, with sandpaper texture
- Flushed face with circumoral pallor
- White strawberry tongue early in disease gives way to beefy red strawberry tongue later
- May have petechiae starting 1 to 3 days after the rash, forming in the skin creases along Pastia lines
Management
- Treated with a 10-day course of penicillin (or clindamycin, if penicillin-allergy)
