Student Identifies Roseola in Pediatric Patient With Help from VisualDx

Li Z., a student at the University of Ottawa, shares how VisualDx helped her identify a rash in a patient population she is less familiar with.

“Having been a long time since I had seen pediatric patients, I saw a 2-year-old girl with a high fever and a pretty impressive rash. I was able to use VisualDx to eventually diagnose roseola!”

What is roseola?

Roseola (also known as sixth disease, exanthem subitum, and roseola infantum) is a mild self-limited illness that mainly affects children and is defined by its classic exanthem. Human herpesvirus (HHV)-6 and HHV-7 have been implicated as causal agents. Maternal antibodies are protective prior to the age of 6 months. Infants with roseola are typically between the age of 6 months and 1 year. The disease course classically begins with a high fever typically greater than 38.9°C (102°F). The infant is otherwise well and the fever usually subsides on the fourth day.

What should we be aware of when making a diagnosis?

High fever for 4 days followed by classic truncal exanthem is classic for roseola.

How can we treat this?

There is no specific treatment for roseola other than measures to control fever.

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