A 5-year-old girl presents with 3 days of low-grade fever, malaise, and an itchy rash that started on the scalp and face and spread to the trunk. Physical examination reveals macules, papules, vesicles on an erythematous base ('dewdrops on rose petals'), and crusted lesions simultaneously present. What is the diagnosis?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Varicella (chickenpox)
- Step 1: Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) causes chickenpox, characterized by pruritic lesions present in various stages of evolution simultaneously ('crops').
- Step 2: The classic vesicle resembles a 'dewdrop on a rose petal'.
- Step 3: Smallpox lesions are all in the exact same stage of development simultaneously.
Answer
Varicella (chickenpox).
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