ROSEOLA INFANTUM (EXANTHEMA SUBITUM) COMPLICATED BY HEMIPLEGIA

Roseola infantum, a common disease of infancy and early childhood, was first described by Zahorsky,¹ in 1910. This syndrome did not attract much attention until Veeder and Hempelmann² published their paper, in 1921. These authors suggested the name exanthema subitum and were the first to describe the characteristic changes in the blood that always accompany the disease. The illness was not considered contagious until Cushing³ observed an outbreak in one of the wards of the Montreal Foundling Hospital in 1925. No complications of the disease have been reported up to the present time.

The occurrence of a cerebral complication is the reason for the present report of a case.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS  Etiology.—The cause of roseola infantum is unknown, but the condition is generally ascribed to infection with a virus.Symptoms and Physical Signs.—The diagnosis is not difficult; therefore the condition should not be mistaken for