Thoracic empyema with scarlatiniform rash and acral desquamation: a case report

Abstract

A 5 year old girl with thoracic empyema developed a scarlatiniform rash and acral desquamation. Cultures from blood, throat, and pleural fluid all grew Streptococcus pyogenes, a common etiologic agent of pediatric thoracic empyema. The presence of a scarlatiniform rash and acral desquamation in children with a thoracic empyema may help identify the causative organism.

Pleural empyema and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome due to Streptococcus pyogenes in a healthy Spanish traveler in Japan

“…The relationship between PE due to GAS and acral desquamation has been occasionally noted. Thus, this desquamation pattern might be a suggestive finding to identify GAS as the etiologic agent, particularly when culture results are inconclusive [17] .…”