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Erythroderma

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

Synonyms and keywords: Dermatitis exfoliativa; exfoliative dermatitis; exfoliative skin disease; exfoliative skin disorder; idiopathic exfoliative dermatitis; generalized exfoliative dermatitis

Overview

Overview

Erythroderma is defined as a generalized skin disorder characterized by reddening and scaling of 100% of the skin. It is also known as erythrodermatitis, generalized exfoliative dermatitis, and red man syndrome. There may also be normal areas of skin present.

Causes

Causes

Erythroderma is produced by several skin diseases, such as psoriasis, contact dermatitis, drug reactions, and mycosis fungoides (a cutaneous lymphoma). A dermatologist must first diagnose the cause, usually with a skin biopsy, a blood smear examined by a pathologist and patch testing (if the eruption can be temporarily cleared).

Drug Causes

Treatment

Treatment

The treatment is dependent on the cause.



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