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Scholarly Commons > HCA Healthcare Journal > Vol. 6 > Iss. 6 (2025)

 

Keywords

staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome; Staphylococcus aureus; melanated skin; Black or African American; treatment delay; infant; case reports

Disciplines

Dermatology | Emergency Medicine | Pediatrics

Abstract

Background

Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) is a dermatologic emergency that most commonly affects young children, requiring prompt recognition and treatment to avoid severe symptoms and fatal sequelae. It is characterized by a desquamation of the skin caused by exotoxins produced by the Staphylococcus aureus species and may present differently in melanated skin.

Case Presentation

Our case describes a 6-month-old Black infant girl who presented to the emergency department with SSSS that was unrecognized on 2 prior encounters. This delay in diagnosis and the misapplication of topical antibacterial agents and steroids may have contributed to the worsening of her symptoms when she presented for the third visit.

Conclusion

Emergency medicine providers should be aware of how SSSS presents in children with melanated skin to decrease misdiagnosis or delay in treatment.

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