Document Detail


Life-threatening cutaneous viral diseases.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  15802209     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Most viral infections present with a cutaneous eruption that in the greater majority of cases is self-healing. Only in rare instances is the eruption accompanied by constitutional symptoms, and even more rarely, irreversible damage may occur or death may ensue. As with other infectious diseases, prognosis depends on the status of immunologic surveillance. Immunodepressed patients are, therefore, at the greatest risk. It has become more evident, however, that even in immunocompetent patients, eruption that were considered not long ago as benign diseases may in fact result in complications and even death. The introduction of polymerase chain reaction assays has allowed us to attribute conditions to a specific viral infection, which in the past was not possible. Therefore, dermatologists may come across, directly or during consultation, patients presenting with skin lesions that may be related to a viral disease and may lead to possible severe systemic complications. Dermatologists, however, may not be prepared for such developments, and thus the goal of this article is to suggest some of the possibilities. Discussing all the viral diseases that may present with cutaneous manifestations would be cumbersome; thus this article will be limited to the diseases that may endanger the life of a patient who is seeking dermatologic advice and who does not seem to have, at first sight, severe systemic involvement.
Authors:
Alfredo Rebora
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Review    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Clinics in dermatology     Volume:  23     ISSN:  0738-081X     ISO Abbreviation:  Clin. Dermatol.     Publication Date:    2005 Mar-Apr
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2005-04-01     Completed Date:  2006-02-21     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8406412     Medline TA:  Clin Dermatol     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  157-63     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Endocrinological and Metabolic Diseases, Section of Dermatology, University of Genoa, 16126 Genoa, Italy. rebdermo@unige.it
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Adult
Child
Child, Preschool
Herpesviridae Infections / diagnosis,  mortality
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Severity of Illness Index
Skin Diseases, Viral* / diagnosis,  mortality

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