Erythroderma
Pronunciation: eh-rith-roh-DER-mah
A severe generalised skin condition characterised by redness and scaling affecting more than 90% of the body surface area.
Full Definition
Erythroderma (also termed exfoliative dermatitis) is a dermatological emergency defined by erythema and scaling involving ≥90% of the total body surface area (TBSA). It may arise from pre-existing skin diseases (psoriasis, eczema), drug reactions, lymphoma (particularly Sézary syndrome), or be idiopathic. Editors should note that 'erythroderma' is the preferred term in most contemporary dermatology publications, while 'exfoliative dermatitis' is older and more common in internal medicine literature; an editor may need to standardize these within a document. The term is never hyphenated and is lowercase in mid-sentence use. Associated abbreviation 'BSA' (body surface area) commonly appears in the same clinical context.
Usage
Usage note: 'Erythroderma' is the preferred contemporary term; 'exfoliative dermatitis' is an acceptable synonym in older and internal medicine literature. Distinguish from toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), which involves epidermal detachment.
In Context
- "The patient developed erythroderma affecting approximately 95% of the body surface area following the introduction of allopurinol." — Inpatient dermatology case summary
- "'Exfoliative dermatitis' and 'erythroderma' are used interchangeably in this manuscript; standardize to 'erythroderma' per journal house style." — Copy-editing note