A 37 year old male presents to his physician complaining of fever, weakness and a worsening diffusely red rash for 2 days. These frequently start on the face, then spread over the entire body, sparing the palms and soles.
Desquamation generally follows the erythroderma.
Fever, malaise, and lymphadenopathy often accompany the skin findings. Temperature dysregulation and significant loss of protein and fluids may complicate the presentation. High output cardiac failure may even result. The differential diagnosis of an exfoliative erythroderma is quite extensive. A past history of dermatologic disease may prove helpful.