Erythema is redness of the skin produced by increased blood flow through the superficial cutaneous capillaries, most commonly as a sign of inflammation, but also arising from infection, allergic and immune reactions, physical and chemical injury, and drug effects. As a clinical sign rather than a single disease, it …
Erythema is redness of the skin produced by increased blood flow through the superficial cutaneous capillaries, most commonly as a sign of inflammation, but also arising from infection, allergic and immune reactions, physical and chemical injury, and drug effects. As a clinical sign rather than a single disease, it appears across a broad range of dermatologic conditions and its pattern, distribution, and accompanying features help guide diagnosis. Inflammatory and reactive processes are a frequent cause, including delayed allergic and contact reactions such as those following exposure to topical or surgical agents, and drug-related changes in skin appearance. Erythema is also a hallmark of infectious and infiltrative skin disease and a feature of premalignant and malignant lesions, which is relevant to therapeutic approaches such as fractionated laser microporation combined with topical imiquimod used to treat actinic keratosis and basal cell carcinoma. Identifying and addressing the underlying cause is central to management, which may include topical anti-inflammatory and other agents, antihistamines, and avoidance of triggers, alongside attention to associated symptoms such as itching and swelling. Because erythema reflects the cutaneous vascular and inflammatory response, its recognition and characterization are important in dermatology for distinguishing benign reactions from conditions that require specific diagnosis and treatment.
8 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 8 articles above have been cited 14 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Erythema, linking to each citing work.