Childhood erythema nodosum associated with kerion celsi: a case report and review of literature

Erythema nodosum (EN) in association with kerion celsi is a rare condition in children, with only 11 cases having been reported in the English literature. We describe a new case in a 7-year-old boy in whom the disorder had begun 2 months before. He had many inflamed, boggy, suppurative nodules over the left occipitoparietal area of the scalp and, 2 weeks later, developed multiple painful, erythematous subcutaneous nodules of the shins, thighs, and upper limbs. EN was confirmed by histologic examination. Our review of the literature of all cases of EN during kerion showed that it usually occurs at or slightly after the height of infection or after drug introduction. Trichophyton mentagrophytes was involved in the majority of cases, and improvement of EN usually occurs with griseofulvin.