Differential Diagnosis
Besides erythema multiforme, several other disorders comprise the differential diagnosis of AGEP (Table 2). Infectious conditions such as candidiasis, folliculitis, and septic vasculitis can manifest as generalized pustular eruptions in adults; candidiasis is characterized by satel- lite pustules, whereas the pustules of folliculitis and sep- tic vasculitis have a follicular locus. Either a Gram stain or use of a potassium hydroxide preparation, followed by appropriate culturing techniques, can confirm the diagnosis. Additionally, Sneddon-Wilkinson disease is a pustular disorder that is chronic in nature and manifests similarly to AGEP; it generally can be diagnosed by skin biopsy. AGEP also can be confused with generalized pustular psoriasis (von Zumbusch’s type), especially when large areas of skin are involved. In most cases, pustular eruption in psoriasis surrounds plaques in acral, crural, and flexural areas of the body. Arthritis