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The presence of pustules or vesiculo-pustular lesions in newborns is always a cause of concern both to the family and the attending physician. Transient neonatal pustular melanosis (TNPM) is a benign idiopathic skin condition characterized by vesicles, superficial pustules, and pigmented macules, usually occurring in newborns at birth. It is self-limiting with spontaneous resolution. We report a case of TNPM in a term female who was managed without antibiotic administration and hospital admission.

A newborn male infant presented with multiple pustules and erosions with erythema involving his scalp and forehead at birth. One week after birth, new pustules continued to appear, forming crusted, ring-shaped plaques with pigmentation. Tests for possible pathogens were negative. Tzanck smear and skin biopsy revealed pustules beneath the stratum corneum at sites corresponding to hair follicles, which contained eosinophils and neutrophils. Taken together, a diagnosis of eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (EPF) was made. The pustules on the head disappeared rapidly with topical corticosteroid treatment, although new eruptions were still observed on the trunk about one month after birth. To our knowledge, only two cases of EPF since birth have been reported to date. Here, we also discuss the differential diagnosis of noninfectious pustular diseases at birth, including erythema toxicum neonatorum and transient neonatal pustular melanosis. These diseases, and EPF, may present with very similar clinical symptoms at birth, and the Tzanck test or biopsy may be required for differential diagnosis.

Skin eruptions are commonly encountered in the neonatal and infant period and can be a source of concern for providers and parents alike. We present a brief, clinically focused discussion on topics commonly encountered by the pediatrician with a focus on pearls of knowledge to help distinguish diseases from one another and from more serious conditions. We review miliaria, transient neonatal pustular melanosis, neonatal cephalic pustulosis, erythema toxicum neonatorum, diaper dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and atopic dermatitis. Treatment strategies are also discussed. [Pediatr Ann. 2019;48(1):e16–e22.]

Background/Objectives Erythema toxicum neonatorum (ETN) and transient neonatal pustular melanosis (TNPM) are benign pustular skin conditions that are relatively common in newborns, but the predisposing factors for these conditions are unknown. Our goal was to verify the prevalence of ETN and TNPM and their predisposing factors in a large sample of neonates. Methods In this prospective 1-year multicenter study, 2,831 neonates (age ≤72 hours) born in southern Brazil were randomized to undergo skin examination by a dermatologist. Results Most were Caucasian (of European descent). There were 602 cases of ETN (21.3% prevalence) and 97 cases of TNPM (3.4% prevalence). ETN was more prevalent in Caucasian neonates, male neonates, those with 1-minute Apgar scores from 8 to 10, those who had no gestational risk factors, and those not admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Positive correlations were observed between ETN and gestational age and birthweight. ETN was least frequent in the winter. No NICU admission or birth during the spring was associated with TNPM. Conclusions At least in the region where this study was conducted, seasonality affects these benign pustular skin conditions. The health of the child at birth, gestational age, and birthweight influenced the development of ETN. This finding may indicate a role of immune system maturity in ETN, but additional studies are needed to confirm this.

The neonatal period comprises the first four weeks of life. It is a period of adaptation where the skin often presents several changes: transient lesions, resulting from a physiological response, others as a consequence of transient diseases and some as markers of severe disorders. The presence of pustules in the skin of the newborn is always a reason for the family and for the assisting doctor to be worried, since the newborn is especially vulnerable to bacterial, viral or fungal infection. However, the majority of neonatal skin pustules is not infectious, comprising the benign neonatal pustulosis. Benign neonatal pustuloses are a group of clinical disease characterized by pustular eruptions in which a contagious agent is not responsible for its etiology. The most common ones are erythema toxicum neonatorum, the transient neonatal pustular melanosis and the benign cephalic pustulosis. These dermatoses are usually benign, asymptomatic and self-limited. It is important that the dermatologist and the neonatologist can identify benign and transient lesions, those caused by genodermatoses, and especially differentiate between neonates with systemic involvement from those with benign skin lesions, avoiding unnecessary diagnostic tests and worries.

Neonatal acne is considered to be a common condition of newborns. The major controversy in this age group is whether the lesions truly represent acne or one of a number of heterogeneous papulopustular acneiform conditions typically without comedones, such as transient neonatal pustular melanosis or colonization with Malassezia species as neonatal cephalic pustulosis or pityrosporum folliculitis. Controversies in neonatal acne pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and treatment will be discussed in this chapter.

Transient neonatal pustular melanosis (TNPM), an idiopathic dermatitis largely observed in full-term neonates with skin of color, has distinctive features characterized by small vesicles and pustules that rupture easily, leaving collarettes of scaling and hyperpigmented macules. Although clinical presentation or stage may vary, the lesions of TNPM are distinctively present at birth and may manifest anywhere on the body, including the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The initial lesions usually disappear spontaneously within the first 2 weeks of life without long-term sequelae, and no treatment is required.

Zusammenfassung Das Spektrum pustuloser Hauterkrankungen im Neugeborenenalter ist gros. Es reicht von harmlosen, transitorischen Adaptationsstorungen bis zu systemischen, lebensbedrohlichen Erkrankungen. Bei 30 – 60 % der Neugeborenen treten Pusteln im Rahmen des harmlosen Erythema toxicum auf, dessen Genese bis heute nicht geklart ist. Differentialdiagnostisch gilt es, hiervon die behandlungsbedurftigen pustulosen Hauterkrankungen abzugrenzen, die sowohl infektioser als auch nicht-infektioser Genese sein konnen. Typische Erreger sind Malassezia furfur, Staphylokokken, Streptokokken, Candida spp. und Viren der Herpesgruppe. Summary In the newborn, there exists a wide spectrum of pustular skin diseases. These range from transitory, benign adaptation disorders up to systemic, life threatening illnesses. In 30 – 60 % of newborns pustules are observed in association with the relatively harmless Erythema toxicum, the origin of which is still unknown today. It is necessary to differentiate this from the pustular diseases which may be of infectious or non-infectious nature and which require therapy. Typical pathogens include Malassezia furfur, Staphylococci, Streptococci, Candida spp. and the herpes virus group.

Transient neonatal pustular melanosis is mostly found in full-term black infants. It is a benign and self-limited disease, and the etiology is still unknown. We present a full-term female neonate with multiple vesiculopustular and pigmented macular lesions found immediately after her birth. A skin biopsy showed vesicles consisting of intracorneal and subcorneal aggregates of neutrophils, which is compatible with transient neonatal pustular melanosis. Although it is rare in Taiwan and Asian countries, transient neonatal pustular melanosis should always be considered when pustulosis is found in the neonatal period to prevent the use of unnecessary antibiotics. Dermatological consultation and histological confirmation are sometimes required for the final diagnosis.

The diagnosis of a pustular dermatosis occurring during the first months of life is usually based on clinical findings. However, some cases may require simple investigations including microscopic examination of pustular content, cultures, and skin biopsies. The main benign transient neonatal types of pustulosis include erythema toxicum neonatorum, infantile acropustulosis, transient neonatal pustular melanosis, and neonatal acne. The most common causes of infectious pustular skin lesions include bacterial infections, which may be initially localized (Staphylococcus aureus) or septicemic (with Listeria monocytogenes as the leading causitive agent); viral infections (herpes simplex, varicella-zoster, and cytomegalovirus infections); fungal infections (candidiasis); or parasitic disorders (scabies). The main objective of this article is to propose a systematic approach to pustular eruptions in the neonate. The need for investigating every neonate with pustules for an infectious disease is emphasized. The Tzanck smear, the Gram's stain, and a potassium hydroxide preparation are the most important quick diagnostic tests. The Tzanck smear is a very easy, rapid, and sensitive test for detection of a herpetic infection (multinucleated giant cells) as well as noninfectious pustular eruptions (eosinophils, neutrophils). Therefore the Tzanck smear should be the first test performed. Moreover, a Gram's stain and potassium hydroxide preparation should be performed in cases of neonatal pustular disorders to detect bacterial and fungal infections. The goal of this diagnostic approach is to spare a healthy neonate with a benign transient condition an invasive evaluation for sepsis, potentially harmful antibiotic therapy, and prolonged hospitalization, with its own inherent morbidity.

A newborn's skin may exhibit a variety of changes during the first weeks of life, and rashes are extremely common in the neonatal period, representing a significant source of parental concern. In particular, a variety of skin eruptions can present as pustules. Most of them are innocuous and self-limiting, while others can be the manifestation of an infectious disease or even indicative of serious underlying disorders. Transient neonatal pustular melanosis is an uncommon vesiculopustular rash characterized by small pustules on a non-erythematous base, noted at birth or during the first day of life, without systemic symptoms. The lesions rupture spontaneously, leaving hyperpigmented macules that usually fade within few weeks. Clinical recognition of this disease can help physicians avoid unnecessary diagnostic testing and treatment for infectious etiologies because no specific therapy is recommended. The clinical aspect and time of onset are generally sufficient to make the correct diagnosis. Nevertheless, peculiar clinical presentations may require additional work-up to rule out life-threatening conditions, and dermatological consultation and histological examination are required for the final diagnosis. Conclusion: We report an exceedingly unusual presentation of transient neonatal pustular melanosis, suggesting the importance of a systematic diagnostic approach to allow a confident recognition of this benign condition.

A sterile pustular skin eruption was observed in 17 of 3,541 newborn infants examined over a period of 30 months. The skin eruption was always present at birth and fulfilled the clinical criteria of transient neonatal pustular melanosis (TNPM). However, some days after birth, all of them but 1 developed skin lesions typical of erythema toxicum neonatorum (ETN). Histological examination of 11 biopsies obtained at the age of 1 day showed intracorneal neutrophilic pustules in 4 and subcorneal intraepidermic eosinophilic pustules in 7. On the basis of our findings and a literature review we consider that a clear-cut differentiation between TNPM and ETN is not always possible. We propose the name sterile transient neonatal pustulosis to unify these conditions.

Background and Aims: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare proliferative disorder of histiocytes characterized by a proliferation of abnormal and clonal Langerhans cells. We retrospectively studied clinicopathologic features of this disorder in five cases. Methods: Clinical and histopathological findings of five cases of cutaneous LCH were reviewed based on the hospital records. Results: The age of patients ranged from 28 days to 5 years and M: F ratio was 1:1.5. Clinically, the diagnoses suggested were histiocytosis, varicella, transient neonatal pustular melanosis, keloid, sarcoidosis, seborrheic keratosis and LCH. The most common type of skin lesion was a generalized papular lesion. Histologically, all cases showed aggregates of large mononuclear histiocytes (Langerhans cells) with reniform, irregular, cleaved nuclei and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. There was multi-systemic involvement in two patients and single-system involvement in three patients. Conclusion: Cutaneous lesions may be the sole presenting feature of LCH. Diagnosis is based on demonstration of S-100 positive histiocytes.

The differential diagnosis for pustular skin disorders is extensive. The distribution of the lesions and the age of the patient are characteristics that may provide strong clues to the etiology of cutaneous pustular eruptions. In adults, generalized pustular dermatoses include pustular psoriasis, Reiter's disease and subcorneal pustular dermatosis. Medications can cause generalized pustular eruptions, such as in the case of acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis; or more localized reactions, such as acneiform drug eruptions, which usually involve the face, chest and back. Localized pustular eruptions are seen on the hands and feet in adults with pustulosis palmaris et plantaris and acrodermatitis continua (both of which may be variants of psoriasis); on the face in patients with acne vulgaris, rosacea, and perioral dermatitis; and on the trunk and/or extremities in patients with folliculitis. A separate condition known as eosinophilic folliculitis occurs in individuals with advanced human immunodeficiency disease. Severely pruritic, sterile, eosinophilic pustules are found on the chest, proximal extremities, head and neck. Elevated serum immunoglobulin E and eosinophilia are often concurrently found. In neonates, it is especially important to make the correct diagnosis with respect to pustular skin disorders, since pustules can be a manifestation of sepsis or other serious infectious diseases. Generalized pustular eruptions in neonates include erythema toxicum neonatorum and transient neonatal pustular melanosis, both of which are non-infectious. Pustules are seen in infants with congenital cutaneous candidiasis, which may or may not involve disseminated disease. Ofuji's syndrome is an uncommon generalized pustular dermatosis of infancy with associated eosinophilia. As in adults, neonates and infants may develop acne or scabies infestations. In this article, we review the most common pustular dermatoses and offer a systematic approach to making a diagnosis. We also report the most up-to-date information on the treatment of these various cutaneous pustular conditions.

Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (EPF) of infancy is a rare disorder which may begin in the neonatal period and cause considerable parental anxiety. It must be distinguished from other causes of a pustular eruption in neonates, including infection and erythema toxicum neonatorum, and rare disorders such as transient neonatal pustular melanosis, infantile acropustulosis and Langerhans' cell histiocytosis. Skin smears and occasionally skin biopsy may be necessary to reach a diagnosis. We report a case of a Caucasian child with an unusually early onset of EPF in the first day of life. We wish to emphasize the importance of recognizing this self-limiting condition in order to prevent inappropriate antimicrobial treatment.

Background Cutaneous lesions are commonly seen in the newborn period and exhibit inconsistency from the skin lesions of an adult. Objective The present study was carried out with an aim to determine the frequency of physiologic and pathologic cutaneous findings in newborns. Methods Typically, 1234 newborns were included in this study. A questionnaire about maternal gestational history, maternal and family history was issued to the parents of each newborn. The presence of cutaneous lesions was recorded. Results Overall, 642 (52%) of the newborns were male and 592 (48%) were female. Typically, 831 newborns (67.3%) had at least one cutaneous lesion. The prevalence of genital hyperpigmentation and milia was significantly higher in males. In premature newborns, the pervasiveness of cutis marmorata and genital hyperpigmentation was found to be significantly higher. Caput succedaneum, transient neonatal pustular melanosis and cyanosis appeared predominantly in vaginally born infants. Erythema toxicum neonatorum was seen in infants, who were born by cesarean section. The predominance of Mongolian spots and erythema toxicum neonatorum were significantly higher in the newborns of the multiparous mothers; however, caput succedaneum was significantly higher in newborns of the primiparous mothers. Conclusion A number of studies about neonatal dermatoses have been carried out involving different methods in various countries. We consider that our study may be useful in literature, as it has been carried out involving large number of maternal parameters.

Skin diseases in black children differ because of pigment lability, fibroblastic activity, and folliular predominance. Normal findings may include Futcher's or Voight's line, linea alba, Mongolian spot, and pigmentation of the mucous membranes and nails. Disorders that are more frequent in black children are transient neonatal pustular melanosis, infantile acropustulosis, tinea capitis, pomade acne, traction alopecia, and proximal trichorrhexis nodosa. Disorders that vary in appearance but not incidence include pityriasis alba, vitiligo, and alopecia areata. A knowledge of this helps in the treatment of the black child with a skin disorder.

Several physiological skin changes such as vernix caseosa, cutis marmorata, physiologic desquamation, and sebaceous hyperplasia have been described in the neonatal period. There are also clinical characteristics of skin peculiar to neonate and infancy. Skin disorders observed during neonatal and infancy period can be divided into transient skin lesions, birth marks, and other diseases. Transient skin lesions include milia, sebaceous gland hyperplasia, erythema neonatorum, transient neonatal pustular melanosis, and acne neonatorum. Nevocellular nevus, mongolian spot, vascular malformation, hemangioma, epidermal nevus, and sebaceous nevus belong to birth marks. There are several common skin diseases such as miliaria, diaper dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and cutaneous candidiasis.

Newborn infants were observed with vesicopustular and pigmented macular skin lesions, which occurred more commonly in black and mature infants and which were distinct clinically and histopathologically from erythema toxicum. Histopathology of skin biopsies of the vesicopustules is characterized by polymorphonuclear infiltration. The lesions often present as, or evolve into, a pigmented macule and persist from three weeks to three months. There are no associated systemic symptoms.

A Mexican-American boy presented at birth with an extensive eruption consisting of 0.5 to 1.0 cm hyperpigmented macules with a distinct peripheral scale involving primarily the forearms, abdomen and lower back (Fig. 1). Rare intact vesicopustules were also identified. There was an unremarkable prenatal history, and the infant was a product of a normal vaginal delivery. With the exception of the skin lesions and moderate hepatosplenomegaly, the physical examination was normal. Gram stains of the pustules showed numerous neutrophils but no bacteria. Bacterial cultures, of the skin and blood, TORCH screen (toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalic virus, and herpes virus) and a VDRL were negative. On the second day of life, the patient developed several pustules with surrounding erythema consistent with erythema toxicum neonatorum. Wright-stained smears of these lesions showed abundant eosinophils. Hepatosplenomegaly resolved by the third day of life and at the time of discharge only hyperpigmented macules persisted. Follow-up visit six weeks later showed no evidence of skin lesions.

• Transient neonatal pustular melanosis was diagnosed in 13 of 5,267 infants examined over a period of 17 months, representing an incidence of 0.24%. The skin eruption was always present at birth and developed within a few days from pustules to a round, brownish crust, which could easily be detached. Histological examination of two biopsy specimens obtained at the age of 4 days showed hyperkeratosis with keratotic plugs and a crust of leukocytes, but no increased melanin. (Am J Dis Child1982;136:521-522)

A black male infant had congenital lesions that consisted of pigmented macules, many of which had a peripheral collarette of scale, and vesicopustules. The appearance of this patient fit the clinical syndrome of transient neonatal pustular melanosis, a newly described vesicopustular disease of the newborn. Differential diagnosis in this patient included the following conditions: erythema toxicum neonatorum, staphylococcal pyoderma, and herpes simplex. ( Arch Dermatol 115:458, 1979)