erythema

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From the Greek for ‘flush’ — redness of the skin, due to persistent engorgement of microscopic blood vessels. A descriptive term; not in itself a diagnosis. Sunburn, or sitting too close to an open fire, causes erythema; it surrounds a nettle or insect sting, or an inflamed wound. A rash, whether due to infectious disease, to allergy, or to drug reactions for example, is described as erythematous if blotches of redness are a feature. It is characteristic of such blotches that they can be emptied of their colour by pressure; this distinguishes them from actual bleeding into the skin.

— Stuart Judge

See skin; sun and the body.

Abnormal reddening of the skin due to dilation of capillaries. Erythema may be due to a number of conditions, but it is often a sign of inflammation and infection.

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Characterized by erythema.

A patchy, circumscribed, or marginated macular redness of the skin or mucous membranes caused by hyperemia or inflammation.

Not to be confused with Arrythmia.

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Erythema
Classification and external resources
Characteristic "bull's eye" rash (erythema migrans) of early Lyme disease
ICD-10	L51-L54
ICD-9	695
DiseasesDB	4466
MeSH	D004890

Erythema (from the Greek erythros, meaning red) is redness of the skin, caused by hyperemia of the capillaries in the lower layers of the skin. It occurs with any skin injury, infection, or inflammation.^[1] Examples of erythema not associated with pathology include nervous blushes.^[2]

Contents 1 Diagnosis 2 Causes 3 Associated conditions 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

Diagnosis

Erythema disappears on finger pressure (blanching), while purpura or bleeding in the skin and pigmentation do not. There is no temperature elevation in erythema, unless it is associated with the dilation of arteries in the deeper layer of the skin.^{[citation needed]}

Causes

It can be caused by infection, massage, electrical treatment, acne medication, allergies, exercise, solar radiation (sunburn), cutaneous radiation syndrome, niacin administration ^[3], or waxing and tweezing of the hairs—any of which can cause the capillaries to dilate, resulting in redness. Erythema is a common side effect of radiotherapy treatment due to patient exposure to ionizing radiation.

In about 30–50% of cases, the cause of erythema is unknown.^{[citation needed]}

Circumoral erythema has been described as a typical sign of acute oleander poisoning by ingestion.[1]

May also be caused by Vitamin A toxicity.^[4]

Associated conditions

• Erythema ab igne
• Erythema chronicum migrans
• Erythema induratum
• Erythema infectiosum (or fifth disease)
• Erythema marginatum
• Erythema migrans
• Erythema multiforme (EM)
• Erythema nodosum
• Erythema toxicum
• Keratolytic winter erythema
• Palmar erythema

See also

• List of cutaneous conditions

References

1. ^ "erythema" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
2. ^ erythema, Mosby’s Medical, Nursing and Allied Health Dictionary, Fourth Edition, Mosby-Year Book 1994, p. 570
3. ^ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2084715
4. ^ Textbook of veterinary physiological chemistry, by Larry Engelking

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Erythema

• UM

v t e Urticaria and erythema (L50–L54, 695, 708) Urticaria (acute/chronic) Allergic urticaria Urticarial allergic eruption Physical urticaria Cold urticaria (Familial) · Primary cold contact urticaria · Secondary cold contact urticaria · Reflex cold urticaria Heat urticaria · Localized heat contact urticaria · Solar urticaria Dermatographic urticaria Vibratory angioedema · Pressure urticaria Cholinergic urticaria Aquagenic urticaria Other urticaria Acquired C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency · Adrenergic urticaria · Exercise urticaria · Galvanic urticaria · Schnitzler syndrome · Urticaria-like follicular mucinosis Angioedema Episodic angioedema with eosinophilia · Hereditary angioedema Erythema Erythema multiforme/ drug eruption Erythema multiforme minor · Erythema multiforme major (Stevens–Johnson syndrome, Toxic epidermal necrolysis) · panniculitis (Erythema nodosum) · Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis Figurate erythema Erythema annulare centrifugum · Erythema marginatum · Erythema migrans · Erythema gyratum repens Other erythema Necrolytic migratory erythema · Erythema toxicum · Erythroderma · Palmar erythema · Generalized erythema M: INT, SF, LCT anat/phys/devp noco(i/b/d/q/u/r/p/m/k/v/f)/cong/tumr(n/e/d), sysi/epon proc, drug (D2/3/4/5/8/11)

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