What is the diagnosis for a patient presenting with coryza, fever, and a rash on the face resembling slapped cheeks?

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Prepare for the PAEA Emergency Medicine EOR Exam with comprehensive flashcards and multiple choice questions. Discover hints and explanations for each query. Ace your exam!

The presentation of coryza, fever, and a facial rash that resembles "slapped cheeks" is characteristic of erythema infectiosum, commonly known as fifth disease. This condition is caused by parvovirus B19 and frequently affects children. The slapped-cheek rash usually appears after the onset of mild systemic symptoms like fever and runny nose, leading to its identification as erythema infectiosum.

The characteristic rash often progresses to a lacy, reticular pattern on the body after initially presenting on the face. This specific progression helps differentiate it from other viral exanthems. Because the patient exhibits these signs and symptoms, the diagnosis aligns perfectly with erythema infectiosum.

In contrast, other conditions listed have different presentations. Erythema marginatum is typically associated with rheumatic fever and presents as pink rings on the trunk and limbs rather than a slapped-cheek appearance. Scarlet fever is characterized by a sandpaper-like rash and a high fever, often following a streptococcal throat infection, but does not present with slapped cheeks. Chickenpox is associated with an itchy vesicular rash that appears in crops and often involves the torso and face, but it lacks the specific slapped-cheek appearance

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