Erythema marginatum

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Erythema marginatum is described as the presence of pink rings on the trunk and inner surfaces of the arms and legs which come and go for as long as several months. The rings are barely raised and are non-pruritic. The face is generally spared.

Some sources distinguish between the following:

• “Erythema marginatum rheumaticum”
• “Erythema marginatum perstans”

It occurs in less than 5% of patients with rheumatic fever, but is considered a major Jones criterion when it does occur. The four other major criteria include carditis, polyarthritis, Sydenham’s Chorea, and subcutaneous (Aschoff) nodules.

It is an early feature of rheumatic fever and may be associated with mild carditis (inflammation of heart muscle). ^{[1] [2]}

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