Asymmetric periflexural exanthem of childhood: Microbiologic case-control study

Our objective was to study possible etiologic factors of asymmetric perifle xural exanthem of childhood (APEC) among a large panel of microbiologic age nts not yet investigated. To do so, we designed a prospective case-control study using throat, stool, blood, and skin samples, and enlisted 37 childre n with APEC and 37 age-matched controls without eruption seen consecutively from February 1995 to April 1996 from a mixed referral center and communit y-based population. No interventions were done, Used as the main outcome me asure was the differences in the two groups for microbiologic investigation s. No significant statistical differences between cases and controls for vi rus and bacteria investigated were found. No microorganism was identified a s a possible etiologic agent in any of the APEC patients. APEC is not a non specific cutaneous eruptive pattern to several common microbiologic agents. More sophisticated molecular approaches are needed to address its etiology .