A 3-year-old child is brought to the office after suffering from a fever and rash for two days. According to her mother, the patient has also refused to eat or drink. She has no previous medical issues and has received all necessary vaccines. Although none of the family members have lately had febrile sickness, the patient has recently begun attending day care. The temperature is 38.3 degrees Celsius (101 F). On the buccal mucosa and tongue, there are many tiny vesicles and ulcers with an erythematous base. The distal extremities also have vesicular lesions. Which of the following is the most likely underlying cause of this patient's rash?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a common pediatric sickness marked by painful, vesicular mouth lesions, extremity ulcers, and a low-grade fever. It is caused by the consumption and subsequent spread of an enterovirus (eg, Coxsackievirus).

A 3-Year-Old Child Is Brought to the Office After Suffering