What Is a Maculopapular Rash?
A maculopapular rash is a skin condition marked by red, measles-like spots. It can be caused by infections, medications, or allergic reactions.
“A maculopapular rash means a rash that has both flat (macular) and raised (papular) components,” says Marissa Baranowski, MD, a dermatologist and assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine.
What Does Maculopapular Mean?
If your doctor says that you have a maculopapular rash, that's just a description of how the rash looks — not a diagnosis.
A macule is a flat, red spot on the skin, while a papule is a raised area of skin in a rash. Doctors use the term maculopapular to describe a rash with both flat and raised parts.
Understanding that your rash has bumps and flat sections can help you describe it to your doctor. However, your doctor will need you to answer other questions to figure out why you have a rash.
Maculopapular Rash and Measles
A maculopapular rash is one of the hallmark signs of measles. It almost always starts on your head, particularly your forehead, hairline, and behind your ears, and moves down your body toward your toes.
Rashes that are measles-like are called morbilliform, the general category for the rash.
“Most cases of measles include a morbilliform rash, but there are specific cases in which someone with measles has a mild rash or no rash at all,” says Baranowski. “This could happen for someone who has partial immunity against measles, someone at the extremes of age, such as the very young or very old, or someone who has an altered immune system due to medications, HIV, or cancer.”
Maculopapular Rash Causes
If you have a rash, you will need to think about your recent activities to figure out what caused it. Sometimes, a rash comes from something you ingested, such as food or medicine. In other cases, you may have touched something that irritated your skin.
It’s important to note that the majority of maculopapular rashes in the US are not caused by measles, Baranowski says.
Some of the most common causes of rashes include:
Atopic dermatitis. A skin condition such as eczema, which isn’t triggered by food, medicine, or touching an irritant.
Contact dermatitis. A reaction to something that touched your skin. Chemicals such as household cleaning products or plants like poison ivy can be the cause.
Allergic reaction. Allergies to certain foods can cause rashes.
Side effect of medications. Your skin can have an allergic reaction, or a drug “eruption,” as a side effect from medications, particularly antibiotics. Essentially, your immune system fights the drug, leading to a rash. A maculopapular rash typically breaks out within hours to two weeks after taking medications. Sometimes, the rash may develop as much as six weeks later.
Psoriasis. A chronic skin disorder that causes rough, red patches of skin.
Heat rash. The skin can erupt in a rash due to being trapped under hot, damp clothing.
Bug bites. Insects can leave clusters of bites that look like a rash.
Infections. Viral infections (such as measles, mononucleosis, and shingles) and bacterial infections (such as scarlet fever) can result in rashes.
How Maculopapular Rashes Are Diagnosed
Once you and your doctor have discussed your medications, your recent travel history, what meals you’ve eaten, and what crowded areas you’ve visited, lab tests can confirm the cause of your maculopapular rash.
Knowing the cause of your rash can help your doctor come up with the best treatment option for you.
Maculopapular Rash Treatments
You can try some simple first aid remedies for a rash at home:
Cool, wet compresses. Hold a cool, damp cloth against the rash for 15-30 minutes to soothe the skin. Repeat several times a day.
Don’t scratch. Scratching can lead to infections from broken skin. Cover the rash with a gauze dressing if you’re tempted to scratch.
Cool bath. Try soaking in a tub of cool water. You can add baking soda or an oatmeal bath product to the water to ease itching.
Anti-itch creams. Over-the-counter anti-itch creams can ease discomfort from minor allergic rashes.
Be gentle. Don’t use soap on the area that has a rash. Wash it only with cool water. Gently pat rashes dry — don’t rub them.
When to Call a Doctor for a Rash
There are times when a rash can signal a serious health problem. If you have a sudden, unexplained rash, it may signal an allergic reaction or an underlying illness or infection. Call your doctor right away if you have the following:
Sudden onset. If you get a rash that appears quickly and spreads rapidly, it might be an allergy. Allergic reactions to medications are common and can be severe. If you are having trouble breathing as well as a rash, call 911.
Fever. It could be an allergic reaction or an infection, including diseases such as scarlet fever, measles, mononucleosis, and shingles.
Rash all over your body. A rash covering a lot of your body may be due to an infection or allergic reaction.
Blisters. If your rash has blisters or open sores, it could be a serious issue. It’s severe if the blisters are near your mouth, eyes, or genitals. Blistering sometimes happens if a rash results from an infection or as a side effect of medication.
Pain. Your doctor can help pinpoint the cause and offer pain relief.
Infection. The skin where the rash is can get infected from scratching. If you notice yellow or green fluid, crusting, pain, or warmth and swelling around the rash, call your doctor.
Most of the time, rashes will get better with time and care.
Takeaways
A maculopapular rash is a type of rash that features both flat, discolored spots as well as small, raised bumps. It can be caused by infections, medications, or allergic reactions. Most maculopapular rashes are caused by medications, particularly antibiotics, and common viruses other than measles.
Maculopapular Rash FAQs
Do maculopapular eruptions spread?
Some maculopapular eruptions spread, especially those caused by infections such as measles.
What is a diffuse maculopapular rash?
A diffuse maculopapular rash means it's widespread, affecting multiple areas of the body.
What is the difference between maculopapular and vesicular rash?
A maculopapular rash has both flat, discolored spots and small, raised bumps. A vesicular rash has small fluid-filled bumps.
Can amoxicillin cause a maculopapular rash?
Yes. Amoxicillin is a widely prescribed antibiotic and can cause a maculopapular rash.
Can a viral infection cause a maculopapular rash?
Yes. There are many types of viral infections, including measles, that can cause a maculopapular rash.
