A Rash Like Chickenpox

A Rash Like Chickenpox

Many people recognize chickenpox For its characteristic eruption in the form of blisters, however, other diseases can also cause a rash such as chicken pox. According to Professor of Pediatrics Richard J. Whitley, MD of the University of Alabama, in the 2008 edition of "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," candidates include: herpes simplex virus one or two, smallpox, Coxsackie virus, the ecovirus and rickettsiosis. Doctors use the key aspects of the rash to distinguish a varicella-like rash from a chickenpox rash.

Appearance

According to dermatologist Stephen E. Straus, MD of the National Institutes of Health, in the 2008 edition of "Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine," chickenpox causes elliptical blisters of 2 to 3 mm, Filled with fluid that appears as a red patch, they rise from the skin and run parallel to the folds. Initially, the herpes simplex blisters fill with a clear liquid, which gives them the appearance of a "drop of dew on the petal of a rose". Herpes and smallpox produce blisters that are two or three times larger, so the size of the blister is often used to rule out these diagnoses.

Distribution

Chickenpox usually begins on the face and scalp, according to Straus, and then moves to the trunk and limbs. The blisters on the trunk usually concentrate in the area below the shoulder blades and above the buttocks. The blisters are also grouped near the midline of the body, with relatively few lesions found towards the periphery. There are several types of Coxsackie virus that can cause a rash similar to chickenpox, however, the Coxsackie virus is distributed mainly in the hands, feet and mouth, hence the common name of "disease of the feet, hands and mouth."

Associated symptoms

Chickenpox, Whitely says, sometimes causes a mild illness similar to flu that includes fever, headache, body aches, lack of appetite, and a generalized feeling of discomfort. Adults and adolescents are often the most affected, while younger children may have few or almost no symptoms, beyond the rash. These associated symptoms can be used to distinguish varicella infections from the ecovirus where the blisters of the rash are accompanied by meningitis, a virus of induced inflammation of the outer protective covering of the spinal cord. Meningitis causes symptoms such as stiff neck, sensitivity to light, mental confusion and altered consciousness that are rarely associated with chickenpox.

Exposure

Chickenpox attacks 90 percent of people before age 15, according to Whitely.The disease usually develops between 14 to 17 days after contact with an infected person. However, in people exposed to mice should be considered rickettsiosis virus, because the disease is transmitted by ticks that feed mainly on mice. In people suspected to have been exposed to mice, the presence of a herald spot, such as a red tick bite that develops a black painless scab, known as "eschar," can confirm the diagnosis as rickettsial disease.

Prevention

Since the development of an effective vaccine against smallpox in 1995, according to the CDC, the number of chickenpox cases has plummeted. However, no vaccine is 100 percent effective. Some vaccinated children still develop the disease, according to Whitely. However, the presence of a small number of blisters, less than 60, says Whitely, compared with the usual range of 250 to 2,000, suggests that a rash similar to chickenpox, in a person vaccinated against the disease, is actually chickenpox. The good news, Whitely continues, is that people vaccinated against chickenpox are much less likely to develop complications from the disease, such as pneumonia or hepatitis, in addition to experiencing a less severe rash on the skin.

Video Tutorial: How to care for children with chickenpox.

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