The following symptoms and complaints may indicate erythema (areal redness of the skin):
- Areal redness of the skin, which may be localized or generalized
Warning signs (Red flags)
- Anamnestic information:
- Forest workers, farmers; vacation in forest areas → think of: Erythema migrans (Lyme disease, Lyme disease).
- Drug intake → think of: toxic erythema.
- Occur alongside erythema nodosum or erythema exsudativum multiforme (cocard-like (disc-shaped) lesions with central vesicle formation; localizations: Extremities (elbows, hands, feet) and face) show further significant symptoms, further investigations should be performed urgently. Note: Possible diseases for this purpose can be found under “Erythema / Causes”.
- Recurrent erythema in the same place, which quickly darkens and forms vesicles → think of: fixed drug exanthema.
- Arthralgia (joint pain) → think of: Connective tissue diseases (e.g., butterfly erythema in lupus erythematosus).
