| Cellulitis | Bacterial infection; rash includes pustules and is red, warm to the touch, and can be tender |
| Eruptive xanthoma | Crops of discrete yellowish papules that may have erythematous bases; often appear in areas subject to pressure or trauma, such as the buttocks, extensor surfaces, and flexural creases |
| Psoriasis | Erythematous, scaly plaques, usually on the elbows and knees |
| Smallpox | Vesicles or pustules similar to eruptive xanthomas, but all in the same stage of development; small red spots on the mucous membranes (enanthem) are also present |
| Varicella | Vesicles on an erythematous base (“dew drop on a rose petal”); viral prodrome; rash develops over one week |
