Scalded skin syndrome
Alternative Names
Ritter disease; Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSS)Symptoms
- Fever
- Large areas of skin peel or fall away (exfoliation or desquamation)
- Painful skin
- Redness of the skin (erythema), which spreads to cover most of the body
- Skin slips off with gentle pressure, leaving wet red areas (Nikolsky's sign)
Exams and Tests
- Positive Nikolsky's sign (skin slipping off when rubbed)
Tests include:
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Cultures of the skin and throat
- Electrolyte test
- Skin biopsy (done only in rare cases, such as when the skin condition may be due to a drug reaction known as toxic epidermal necrolysis or TEN)
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