Redditis

Redditis is a fictional medical condition described in speculative literature and world-building contexts as an inflammatory disorder characterized by abnormal redness of the skin and mucosal surfaces. The term combines the color red with the medical suffix -itis, indicating inflammation. It is not recognized as a real diagnosis in contemporary medicine.

Signs and symptoms typically include pronounced erythema, warmth, and swelling confined to affected areas. Pruritus and a burning sensation may accompany the redness, and in extended cases a diffuse rash or conjunctival redness can occur. Fever or systemic symptoms are rare in most depictions.

In fictional accounts, redditis is caused by an exaggerated immune response or by exposure to red pigments, wavelengths of light, or magical agents that stimulate cutaneous vasodilation. Pathophysiology is not standardized across sources, but stories often describe perivascular inflammation with lymphocyte involvement.

Diagnosis is described in world-building texts as a clinical assessment based on visible redness and history of exposure, with differential diagnoses including dermatitis, contact dermatitis, and erythroderma. No real diagnostic criteria exist outside its fictional usage, and laboratory testing is variable or unnecessary in these narratives.

Treatment in fiction generally focuses on avoidance of triggers, topical corticosteroids or antihistamines for symptom relief, and cooling measures. Severe cases may be managed with systemic therapies as depicted in certain universes.

Redditis appears most often as a narrative device to explore themes of sensitivity, environmental exposure, or magical realism, and remains a fictional construct rather than a medical reality.