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Review
. 2015 Mar-Apr;60(2):211.
doi: 10.4103/0019-5154.152558.

Neonatal pustular dermatosis: an overview

Sangita Ghosh  1
Affiliations
Review

Neonatal pustular dermatosis: an overview

Sangita Ghosh. Indian J Dermatol. 2015 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Neonatal pustular eruption is a group of disorders characterized by various forms of pustulosis seen in first 4 weeks of life. Its presentation is often similar with some subtle differences, which can be further established by few simple laboratory aids, to arrive at a definite diagnosis. Given their ubiquitous presentation, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate among self-limiting, noninfectious, pustular dermatosis such as erythema toxicum neonatorum, transient neonatal pustular melanosis, miliaria pustulosa, etc., and potentially life threatening infections such as herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus infections. This review article tries to address the chronological, clinical, morphological, and histological differences among the various pustular eruptions in a newborn, in order to make it easier for a practicing dermatologist to diagnose and treat these similar looking but different entities of pustulation with a clear demarcation between the physiological benign pustular rashes and the infectious pustular lesions.

Keywords: Erythema toxicum neonatorum; neonatal pustular eruption; pustulosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: Nil.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A neonate with multiple discrete tiny pustules on erythematous base, distributed over the trunk
Figure 2
Figure 2
A neonate with numerous discrete tiny pustules with hyperpigmented background, distributed over forehead, limbs, and trunk
Figure 3
Figure 3
A neonate with numerous superficial small pustules on the forehead and upper limbs
Figure 4
Figure 4
A five days old neonate with sebaceous gland hyperplasia over nose
Figure 5
Figure 5
A 10-days-old baby with multiple pus filled distinct fragile bullae in the groin
Figure 6
Figure 6
Multiple inflamed follicular lesions on the back of a neonate
Figure 7
Figure 7
‘Neonatal varicella’ in a 4-day old child, whose mother had chicken-pox before delivery
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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