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Acrodermatitis

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Definition:

Acrodermatitis is a childhood skin condition that may be accompanied by mild symptoms of fever and malaise . It may also be associated with hepatitis B and other viral infections.

Alternative Names:

Papular acrodermatitis of childhood; Gianotti-Crosti syndrome; Acrodermatitis - infantile lichenoid; Acrodermatitis - papular infantile; Papulovesicular acro-located syndrome

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The cause of acrodermatitis is poorly understood, but its link with other infections is well- documented.

In Italian children, acrodermatitis is seen frequently with hepatitis B , but this link is rarely seen in the United States. In addition to hepatitis B, acrodermatitis has also been associated with Epstein-Barr virus infections (EBV, mononucleosis), cytomegalovirus, coxsackie viruses, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and some live virus vaccines.

References:

Behrman RE. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 17th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2004.

Long SS, Pickering LK, Prober CG. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2003.

• Review Date: 4/12/2007
• Reviewed By: Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Associate, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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