Viral Exanthems and Associated Dermatoses
Summary
Viral exanthems encompass a spectrum of cutaneous eruptions triggered by systemic viral infections, often accompanied by fever, lymphadenopathy and malaise. Associated dermatoses such as pityriasis rosea, Gianotti-Crosti syndrome, papular-purpuric gloves and socks syndrome and asymmetric periflexural exanthem illustrate the diversity of virus-induced and paraviral skin responses. Lesion morphology ranges from maculopapular and papulovesicular to purpuric and urticarial, reflecting direct viral cytopathic effects, immune complex deposition or cytokine-mediated inflammation. Advances in molecular diagnostics, serological profiling and immunohistochemical analysis have refined our understanding of viral contributions to cutaneous pathology. Recognising these exanthems is critical for differential diagnosis, outbreak control, patient management and targeted antiviral or supportive therapies across diverse healthcare settings.
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Viral Exanthems and Associated Dermatoses publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in viral exanthems and associated dermatoses across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Exanthem: A widespread skin eruption, typically maculopapular, occurring in the course of a systemic infection.
Herald patch: The solitary initial lesion that precedes the generalized rash in pityriasis rosea.
Paraviral rash: A cutaneous eruption temporally associated with viral infection but lacking evidence of direct viral replication in the skin.
Cq RT-PCR (calibrated quantitative real-time PCR): A molecular assay that quantifies viral nucleic acid load in tissue or fluid samples by measuring the cycle threshold of amplification.
References
- Association between Pityriasis Rosea (PR) and HHV-6/HHV-7 Infection: Importance of Sample Selection and Diagnostic Techniques. Diagnostics (2024).
- Pityriasis rosea, Gianotti-Crosti syndrome, asymmetric periflexural exanthem, papular-purpuric gloves and socks syndrome, eruptive pseudoangiomatosis, and eruptive hypomelanosis: do their epidemiological data substantiate infectious etiologies?. Infectious Disease Reports (2016).
- Pityriasis Rosea With Multiple Herald Patches Resulting in a V-shaped Pattern and a Christmas Tree Distribution. Cureus (2024).
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