Cutaneous infectious diseases: Kids are not just little people
The changes in immune response that occur with age play a significant role in disease
presentation and patient management. Evolution of the innate and adaptive immune systems throughout
life, influenced partly by hormonal changes associated with puberty, plays a role in the differences
between pediatric and adult response to disease. We review a series of manifestations of dermatologic
infectious diseases spanning bacterial, viral, and fungal origins that can be seen in both pediatric and
adult age groups and highlight similarities and differences in presentation and disease course.
Therapeutic options are also discussed for these infectious diseases, with particular attention to
variations in management between these population subgroups, given differences in pharmacokinetics
and side effect profiles.