Rubella physical examination

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] ; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Michael Maddaleni, B.S., Aravind Kuchkuntla, M.B.B.S [2]

Overview

Rubella infection in adults presents with low grade fever and a maculopapular rash starting on the face and spreads caudally. Cervical lymphadenopathy is present in majority of the patients.

Physical Examination

Patient appears normal and in no distress.

Lymphadenopathy, may precede rash, often involves posterior auricular or suboccipital lymph nodes, can be generalized, and lasts between 5 and 8 days.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The maculopapular rash usually starts on the face, becomes generalized within 24 hours, and lasts for about 3 days.
It occurs in 50% to 80% of patients infected with rubella.

Images

This is an 11 mo. old infant with a mild rubella rash, as well as a nondescript secondary macular eruption. – Source: https://www.cdc.gov/

References

↑ Kliegman, Robert; Stanton, Bonita; St. Geme, Joseph; Schor, Nina (2016). “Chapter 247:Rubella”. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics Twentieth Edition. Elsevier. pp. 1548–1552. ISBN 978-1-4557-7566-8.
↑ Goldman, Lee; Schafer, Andrew (2016). “Chapter 368:Rubella (German Measles)”. Goldman-Cecil Medicine, 25th Edition. Elsevier. pp. 2204–2206. ISBN 9781455750177.
↑ Buimovici-Klein E, Cooper LZ (1985). “Cell-mediated immune response in rubella infections”. Rev Infect Dis. 7 Suppl 1: S123–8. PMID 2408312.

Overview