Hand, Foot and Mouth disease

Clinical

• Coxsackie virus (more serious Enteroviuus clusters in Asia)
• Person to person spread
• Max children 1 - 4 years (common up to 10 years)
• Sores in mouth, rashes on hands & feet and buttocks.
  • "Textbook" vesicles occur at junction of hard and soft skin (palm, sole/ankle area)
• Commonest cause mouth sores (painful, small yellow sores, red halo) children
• Painful eating then hand rash
• May have low fever, anorexia, sore throat, abdo. pain for 7 days
• Usually mild but beware dehydration and occasional arthropathy
• Clinical diagnosis
• Rarely progress to encephalitis / transverse myelitis (flaccid - so do neuro exam)
• Hydration, analgesia (mouth ulcers), control pyrexia
• Keep from school only if ill (may attend school if rash alone)

Links