title: Scalded skin syndrome: Diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and management of 42 children.
abstract: The bacteriologic, epidemiologic, clinical, and diagnostic findings and management of the scalded skin syndrome (SSS) in 42 children are reported SSS may present in one of three ways: (1) Ritter's disease in infants, characterized by an acute, generalized bullous dermatitis simulating the appearance of scalded skin, followed by exfoliation; (2) Lyell's disease, or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), in children or adults, with scalded skin and bullae followed by extensive exfoliation; or (3) a nonstreptococcal scarlatiniform eruption, or staphylococcal scarlet fever, manifested by a generalized scarlatiniform erythema ans subsequent minimal to moderate fine desquamation. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated and implicated as the causative agent in 32 of the 42 children; nine of the other ten children had received a drug or vaccine preceding their rash. SSS in children has increased in frequency recently, is usually due to S aureus infection with potential epidemic aspects, can be recognized easily by its unusual clinical features, and has an excellent prognosis with appropriate management.
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003231:Conjunctivitis / Q000209:etiology; D003873:Dermatitis, Exfoliative / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004890:Erythema / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012541:Scarlet Fever / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D013577:Syndrome