Maculopapular Rash – Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Diagnosis

Maculopapular Rash – Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Diagnosis






Maculopapular rash can be defined as acute eruption and formation of skin lesions. Macule can be defined as flat lesion measuring less than 1 cm in diameter. And papule can be defined as raised bumps or lesions having the same measurement. If any lesions or bumps exceeds 1cm in diameter it is known as nodules. Thus maculopapular rash is a combination of macule and papule both implies lesions of distinct skin discoloration.

Maculopapular rash is marked by raised bumps of small size that causes discoloration on the normal skin. Often the lesions are red and can occur anywhere in the body or defined to specific area. Again the rashes can be either acute (resolving within few weeks) or be chronic (existing more than 8 weeks or for months together). Under normal health condition, this rash cannot be a problem but if you have impaired immunity or health having maculopapular rash can be sign of underlying serious condition. Maculopapular rash is caused by medications in adults and in children often it is a sign of viral infection. Acute type of rash may last anywhere from 1-3 weeks and chronic type can take more than 8 weeks to disappear.

Maculopapular Rash Causes :

Many factors are known to cause maculopapular rash.

Viral Infection :

• In children viral infection is the major cause for maculopapular rash. It can be Rubeola Measles causing lesions or bumps starting from head and proceeding till their legs. For Rubella virus the rash starts initially on the face and continue to spread to other body parts.


• Roseola infection can also cause maculopapular rash. Other forms of viral infections that cause chikungunya and parvovirus can also cause this type of rashes. Other viruses like enteroviruses, Epstein Barr virus, Rocky Mountain fever, Lyme disease, Murine Typhus, secondary Syphilis infection, Scabies, Psittacosis, Rate bite fever and Leptospirosis can cause maculopapular rash.

Medications :

• Drug induced maculopapular rash is common in adults. Medications given for other infections, drugs taken for nervous problem like Epilepsy, can cause this rash. Hypersensitive drugs can cause allergic reaction in the form of maculopapular rash.


• If you are getting this rash within 2 days, after taking any new medication it can be adverse effect of the drug. Once you stop using the medicine the rashes would automatically disappear within few days.


• Rheumatoid Arthritis and other immune-suppressant disorders can cause maculopapular rash.


• Abnormally low level of cholesterol and overuse of vitamin B3 or Niacin can also cause maculopapular rash.


• For patients with HIV infection this rash is a sign of early infection.

Maculopapular Rash Symptoms :

Maculopapular rash is marked by small raised reddened bumps or lesions on the skin. It may or may not be itchy. But if you have other signs like fever, shortness of breath and choking along with rash it may be a cause of serious concern which needs immediate medical help. Some people may develop anaphylactic reactions mentioned above in addition to rash.

Maculopapular Rash Diagnosis :

Based on your symptom, your doctor would first complete physical examination. He may check the body to ensure how far the rash has progressed. Blood count would be done for confirming an infection from virus. Blood test and culture will be done and in case of doubt cerebrospinal fluid will be taken and tested in the lab. For more accurate diagnosis, biopsy of the tissue sample from the lesion is taken and tested. He may further get complete medical history of the patient and whether he/she has used any new drug a day or two before.

Maculopapular Rash Treatment :

• Treatment is based on the cause and intensity of the symptoms. The main aim of treating maculopapular rash is to give quick relief from the symptoms and get back original skin color.


• Painkillers like ibuprofen and paracetomol are given to reduce the pain and swelling. The person will have to take plenty of rest and fluids. Topical creams that contain corticosteroid are prescribed and for more severe cases oral antihistamines are given to give comfort.


• At present many patients are given gamma radiation since there is no definite cure from other methods.


• For those with chikungunya virus, chloroquine is given for specific period or until the rashes disappear.


• For more severe cases of Dengue fever the patient would be admitted in the hospital and given IV fluids to prevent Dehydration.

Maculopapular Rash – Causes, Symptoms, Pictures, Treatment

Maculopapular Rash – Causes, Symptoms, Pictures, Treatment






As the name suggests, maculopapular rash is a kind of skin Allergy that causes lesions or papules in the skin. The rash may last for 4 weeks or even more and is caused by virus that causes Measles in children. Maculopapular rash largely affects children and sometime adult population. The term “maculopapular” denotes macule (discoloration) and papule (lesions or bumps). This type of rash causes flat blemishes on the skin with reddened lesions or bumps. Rash is limited to certain parts of the body in some people and is distributed liberally in others. It can be acute (short period) and also chronic (long lasting). Treatment for maculopapular rash is purely based on the symptoms. Antiviral medications are prescribed to manage the raised lesions and antihistamines are effective in controlling itching.

Symptoms :

Maculopapular rash is marked by the presence of distinct lesions or bumps on the skin. It appears as flat lesion measuring less than one cm in diameter. In some cases the papule can be in the form of raised lesions or nodule forming above the surface of the skin. The lesions may contain pus like fluid inside which leaks out on eruption.

This can cause moderate to severe itching and discomfort on the affected area of the skin. In some patients the symptoms of rash would appear along with signs like fever, Headache, confusion of thought and general illness. The area where the rash initially appears depends on the type of virus that has caused it. It can begin behind the ears in case of Rubeola virus and spreads throughout the body. The rash can begin on the face initially and spreads to the truck and extremities subsequently in case of Rubella virus.

Causes :

Maculopapular rash is a viral infection. Many types of virus that causes measles and other infectious diseases are responsible for causing this rash. Rubeola virus, Rubella virus, Roseola virus, Chikungunya virus and Parvovirus B19 are the group of virus that causes maculopapular rash. Severity of infection depends on the type of virus that causes it and if left untreated Chikungunya virus can cause serious complications and even death. In rare cases the disease can be caused due to side effect of certain medications like anticonvulsants and antibiotics. Even insect bites and food allergy can cause maculopapular rash on the skin.

Risk Factors :

Children with weakened immunity are the main target of maculopapular rash. Adults who are immune-compromised due to certain infectious diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis and HIV are at risk of developing this rash.

Diagnosis :

Your doctor can easily identify maculopapular rash by physical examination of the skin. He would look for other symptoms like itching and pain on the affected site. He may order for blood count test or blood culture to confirm his diagnosis. In case of severe infection other tests may also be done to identify how far other organs are infected. The doctor would look for fever and associated symptoms to know whether rash are localized (restricted to specific part of the body) or it is generalized (to many parts of the body).

Images, Pics, Photos and Pictures of Maculopapular Rash :

Treatment :

Treatment approach is based on the intensity of symptoms. For mild form of maculopapular rash no treatment is required. It often resolves within a week or so without any medication if the affected person has no other symptoms except lesions on the body. For those with associated symptoms like fever, headache and severe itching suitable medications are given.

Root cause of the disease would be identified before starting the treatment. Antiviral drugs like chloroquine are given in combination with anti-inflammatory medications. For severe cases of infection like Dengue Fever IV fluids are started with suitable antiviral drugs to prevent further damage of organs. The affected person should take plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Complete rest is recommended until the rash subsides totally. In serious cases like Dengue or Chikungunya the patient would be hospitalized and be under complete care.