ABSTRACT
Many febrile diseases caused by ribonucleic acid virus infection demonstrate ctutaneous manifestations with preceding prodromes. Ibis review provides a flowchart highlighting the diagnostic clues of viral exanthan. Besides febrile prodromes, patients with chikungunya virus have severe arthralgias and macular hyperpigmentation on the noses. Coronavirus disease 2019 demonstrates unique actocyanosis and pseudotiostbite besides elythematous rash and urticaria, suggesting abnormal coagulation. Dengue fever should be suspected when patients in the tropical region present with biphasic fever, headache, retroorbital pain, and centrifugal morbillifonn rash. Dengue hemorrhagic fever, a potentially fatal complication, results from systemic vascular leakage. High-temperature fever and sudden-onset severe headache raise the possibility of Ebola virus infection. Patients with hand-foot-and-mouth di,wase may experience morbillifonn or vesicular eruption, especially over the hands, feet, and oral mucosa. In acute human immunodeficiency virus infection, maculopapular eruptions often appear on the face and neck after prodromes. Primary human T-lymphotropic-III virus infection can induce widespread maculopapular or naseola-like exanthem, sparing the hands and feet. Cutaneous manifestations of natavirus include generalized maculopapular rash, Sweet's syndrome, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, Gianotti-Crosti syndrome, and acute hemorrhagic edema. Rubella is usually suspected when low-grade fever and lymphadenopathy are accompanied by a discrete pinpoint-sized maculopapular rash, which spreads and diminishes faster than measles. Cough, coryza, and conjunctivitis followed by morbilliform eruptions and Koplik's spots are diagnostic of measles. Exanthem of Zika virus comprised of small pruritic papules that extend downwards. Laboratoty testing is helpful in making a definitive diagnosis. Viral isolation, measurement of immunoglobulin M (IgM) or IgG, and/or reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction are useful diagnostic tools with favorable sensitivity and specificity.
ABSTRACT
There have been several episodes of viral infection evolving into epidemics in recent decades, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the latest example. Its high infectivity and moderate mortality have resulted in an urgent need to find an effective treatment modality. Although the category of immunosuppressive drugs usually poses a risk of infection due to interference of the immune system, some of them have been found to exert antiviral properties and are already used in daily practice. Recently, hydroxychloroquine and baricitinib have been proposed as potential drugs for SARS-CoV-2. In fact, there are other immunosuppressants known with antiviral activities, including cyclosporine A, hydroxyurea, minocycline, mycophenolic acid, mycophenolate mofetil, leflunomide, tofacitinib, and thalidomide. The inherent antiviral activity could be a treatment choice for patients with coexisting rheumatological disorders and infections. Clinical evidence, their possible mode of actions and spectrum of antiviral activities are included in this review article. LAY SUMMARY: Immunosuppressants often raise the concern of infection risks, especially for patients with underlying immune disorders. However, some disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) with inherent antiviral activity would be a reasonable choice in the situation of concomitant viral infections and flare up of autoimmune diseases. This review covers DMARDs of treatment potential for SARS-CoV-2 in part I, and antiviral mechanisms plus trial evidence for viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 in part II.