Hand Foot Mouth disease
Etiology
• A very common cause of hand foot mouth disease is enterovirus infection (coxsackievirus A10 or A16), which may occur in mild epidemic proportion, chiefly in children
• Incubation period is short, usually less than 1 week
Clinical Presentation
• Oral mucosal lesions with focal herpes simplex–like appearance, usually involving nonkeratinized tissue (soft palate, floor of mouth, labial-buccal mucosa)
• Accompanying palmar, plantar, and digital lesions are deeply seated, vesicular, and erythematous
• Short course with mild symptoms
Diagnosis
• Concomitant oral and cutaneous lesions
• Skin lesions commonly involve hands and feet.
• Skin lesions may involve buttocks.
• Antibody-titer increase measured between acute and recovery phases
Differential Diagnosis
• Herpangina
• Herpes simplex infection
• Acute lymphonodular pharyngitis
Treatment
• Symptomatic treatment only
• Patient should be cautioned against the use of aspirin to manage fever.
Prognosis
• Excellent
• Lifelong immunity, but it is strain specific
