Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, antibiotics and exanthema.

A retrospective survey of 81 patients with serologically proven Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection revealed that 72% received two or more different antibiotics during their illness, ampicillin and other penicillins being most frequently used. Fifteen (18.5%) patients had a skin rash, most commonly an erythematous maculopapular rash. It is suggested that such rashes may be due to antibiotics and, unlike mucocutaneous vesicular rashes, are probably not a useful indication of mycoplasmal pneumonia.