Roseola

Last reviewed: 26 Aug 2023
Last updated: 26 Oct 2022

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • age under 2 years
  • immunosuppression
  • high fever
  • exanthem
More key diagnostic factors

Other diagnostic factors

  • diarrhea
  • abdominal pain
  • Nagayama spots
  • tympanic membrane inflammation
  • upper respiratory symptoms
  • seizures
  • periorbital edema
  • bulging anterior fontanelle
  • cervical, occipital, or postauricular lymphadenopathy
Other diagnostic factors

Risk factors

  • age under 2 years
  • immunosuppression
More risk factors

Diagnostic investigations

1st investigations to order

  • no initial test
More 1st investigations to order

Investigations to consider

  • viral culture
  • antibody detection
More investigations to consider

Emerging tests

  • polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
  • immunohistochemistry

Treatment algorithm

ACUTE

all patients

Contributors

Authors

Henry M. Feder, Jr., MD

Professor of Pediatrics and Family Medicine

University of Connecticut Medical Center and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center

Farmington

CT

Disclosures

HMF declares that he has no competing interests.

Hassan El Chebib, MD

Attending Physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases and Immunology

University of Connecticut School of Medicine

Hartford

CT

Disclosures

HEC declares that he has no competing interests.

Ashley C. Howard, DO

Attending Physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases and Immunology

University of Connecticut School of Medicine

Hartford

CT

Disclosures

ACH declares that she has no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

Dr Henry M. Feder, Dr Hassan El Chebib, and Dr Ashley C. Howard would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Edward C. Kim, Dr Nicholas Bennett, Dr James Azim, Dr Margie C. Andreae, Dr Jon Dyer, and Dr Jennifer Holman, the previous contributors to this topic.

Disclosures

ECK, NB, JA, MCA, JD, and JH declare that they have no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Helen Goodyear, MBChB, MRCP, FRCPCH, MD, MMed

Consultant Paediatrician

Heartlands Hospital

Birmingham

UK

Disclosures

HG declares that she has no competing interests.

Mary T. Caserta, MD

Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Department of Pediatrics

Division of Infectious Diseases

University of Rochester Medical Center

Rochester

NY

Disclosures

MTC declares that she has no competing interests.

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