Abstract
Twenty newborn infants with exanthematous disease, the criteria of which are systemic exanthema and at least one of thrombocytopenia, serum C-reactive protein elevation and fever, are reported. Their gestational ages were 29-40 weeks and birth weights were 1, 084-3, 320 g. Nineteen infants had platelet counts of 15 × 104/μl or less. The serum C-reactive protein level was 1.0 mg/dl or more in 7 patients. Throat and / or stool cultures revealed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in 6 patients. Coxsackie B4 virus was isolated from stool and throat-swab specimens from one patient. Recently this disease was reported to be induced by toxic shock syndrome toxin 1. However the clinical findings of this disease are similar to those of a viral infection. It should be added to the diagnostic criteria of the exanthematous disease induced by toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 that Staphylococcus aureus which produces the toxin is isolated and that other pathogens such as enteroviruses which cause similar symptoms are negated.
