CONDITIONS CURRENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH ERYTHEMA-NODOSUM IN SWISS CHILDREN

A review was made of the 36 paediatric patients in whom the diagnosis of erythema nodosum had been established between 1977 and 1996 at the Department of Paediatrics, University of Bern, Switzerland. Infectious diseases were associated with erythema nodosum in 20 (including 10 st reptococcal infections) and non-infectious inflammatory diseases in 8 patients. None of the 36 patients had tuberculosis or had been exposed to sulphonamides, phenytoin or hormonal contraceptives. There were ei ght patients in whom either the associated disease was not diagnosed, or there was no other disease. Conclusion Most cases of erythema nodos um are caused by non-mycobacterial infectious diseases or by non-infec tious inflammatory diseases.