In the Red, Medically Speaking Quiz

Answer: erythema

Inflammation is the body's response to trauma or infection. As characterised by the Roman scholar Celsus (c.25 BC - c.50 AD), there are four classic signs of inflammation - heat (calor), swelling (tumor), pain (dolor) and redness (rubor).

Erythema is the medical term for red, irritated skin and is caused by blood flow into the area. While typically defined as "redness", in dark skin tones, erythema may appear brown, grey or purplish. In Greek, erythema means "blush, redness of the skin". Medically speaking, the meaning has been extended to describe redness of any body surface.

Answer: measles

Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that manifests as a fever, cough, red eyes, and a blotchy red rash. It spreads through air droplets from coughs and sneezes. While it usually resolves in a week, it can have serious consequences, such as pneumonia, permanent blindness, deafness, encephalitis and death. According to WHO (World Health Organisation), an estimated 95,000 people died from measles globally in 2024, predominantly unvaccinated children under 5 years of age.

Measles is derived from a Dutch word 'maselen' (many little spots) and is also known as 'rubeola' (Latin: rubeolus means reddish) and 'morbilli' (Latin: morbillus means little disease).

Answer: rubella

Rubella is a contagious virus causing mild illness in children, featuring a rash, fever, and swollen glands. It is also known as German measles or "three-day measles" because that is how long the rash tends to last. It is usually not serious for children, however, it can cause severe birth defects if contracted during pregnancy, for example, deafness, cataracts, heart defects, organ damage, small head size (microcephaly) and intellectual disability. It can also cause miscarriage and foetal death.

This disease was known as German measles because it was first recognised by German physicians in the mid-18th century. Rubella is Latin for "a reddish colour", a reference to the characteristic red rash.

Answer: erythrocyte

The main function of red blood cells is to pick up oxygen from the lungs and carry it to every part of the body, as well as taking away carbon dioxide, bringing it to the lungs to be breathed out. They get their red colour from an iron-containing protein called haemoglobin.

The correct medical term for a red blood cell is erythrocyte, from the Greek words "erythros" (red) and "kytos" (cell).

Answer: rosacea

Roseacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, typically manifested on the face and characterised by red skin due to dilation of the capillaries and with occasional pustules. It usually occurs in middle-aged and older people. Its precise cause is unknown but it is believed to be likely due to a combination of genetics, immune system dysfunction, and environmental factors.

Its name is derived from the Latin "rosaceus" meaning rosy or rose-colored.

Answer: scarlatina/scarlet fever

Scarlet fever, also known as scarlatina, is a highly infectious bacterial illness caused by Streptococcus pyogenes toxins. This is the same bacteria that causes a number of illnesses including "strep throat", tonsillitis, cellulitis and impetigo. Symptoms include a sore throat, fever, and a red, bumpy rash that feels like sandpaper. A unique characteristic of this disease is "strawberry tongue". Initially, the tongue has a white coating with red, swollen papillae. After a few days, this coating sheds, leaving the tongue bright red, swollen, and bumpy, like a strawberry.

Answer: erythrocytosis

Red blood cells or erythrocytes are made in the bone marrow. If the bone marrow produces excessive numbers of red blood cells, the blood becomes more viscous (thicker and stickier) than normal. This can slow down blood flow, potentially causing headaches, dizziness, fatigue, or red skin.

It can be an indicator of underlying medical conditions such as low oxygen levels (due to lung/heart issues), kidney disease or bone marrow disorders. It can also be caused by smoking, high altitude, or genetic factors.

Answer: sickle cell anaemia

Sickle cell anemia is so-called because it is characterised by a shortage of red blood cells (anaemia) and for the shape of the red blood cells (sickle-shaped). A sickle is a farming tool which has a blade which is crescent- or C-shaped.

Sickle cell anaemia is an inherited blood disorder caused by a recessive gene. If a person inherits an affected gene from both parents, they will suffer the disease. If they inherit the gene from only one parent, they will not be affected but will be a carrier and can pass the gene on to their offspring.

The disease causes the red blood cells to become rigid and sticky, blocking blood flow and causing anaemia, pain, infections, and organ damage.

Answer: strawberry naevus

Naevus is a medical term for a birthmark or mole, derived from the Latin "naevus", meaning "mole, birthmark, spot". Naevi is the plural; nevus/nevi is the American spelling variant (deletion of the silent 'a'). A strawberry naevus, as the name implies, resembles a strawberry in that it is bright red and bumpy.

It is a benign tumour formed by an overgrowth of blood vessel cells (a haemangioma). Typically they shrink and fade away on their own over several years and do not require medical intervention.

Answer: fifth disease

Fifth disease is also known as erythema infectiosum, slapped cheek or slapped face syndrome. It is a mild viral infection caused by human parvovirus B19. This disease is common in childhood and causes a bright red rash on the cheeks. Other symptoms include fever, runny nose, sore throat, and headaches, followed by an itchy rash on the trunk and/or limbs.

Erythema infectiosum, meaning "infectious redness", is the correct medical terminology. Slapped cheek or slapped face syndrome is self-explanatory - it is the most obvious feature of the disease. But why is it called fifth disease? In the late 1800s and early 1900s, doctors classified common childhood illnesses with rashes numerically.

This list was as follows:
1. Measles
2. Scarlet fever or scarlantina
3. Rubella or German measles
4. Dukes' disease (believed nowadays to due to a misdiagnosis)
5. Erythema infectiosum or slapped cheek/face syndrome
6. Roseola infatum (Exanthem subitum or "sudden rash")

As you can see, it is fifth on the list.