Strange rash. Anyone else/any ideas?
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Anonymous
| My 6 year old woke up yesterday with strange raised "bumps"/a rash on his lower legs ( they almost look like red pimples with white heads). Initially, I assumed they were hives and didn't think much of it. Gave him Benadryl. Today, the bumps have spread to his arms (not as many as on his legs) and I just noticed one on his chest. They are red and he says that they itch. I took him to the urgent care center, and the doctor was stumped. Said probably bug bites and give Benadryl - suggested follow up tomorrow with pediatrician, which I will do. He did say he has seen 2 other kids with a similar rash. I don't understand how he could have so many bug bits - he hasn't ben anywhere with bugs. And why would they be spreading? So, anyone else have a mysterious rash? I am wondering if it is a mild case of chickenpox, although he has been vaccinated. |
Anonymous
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My son just got a similar rash as an allergic reaction to antibiotics. Has he taken any drugs recently?
My other thought was a strep rash. Has he been sick? But those are just guesses. |
Anonymous
| Thanks, PP. No antibiotics in a long time. The doctor looked in his throat and said it looked fine. I am really wondering if it is a mild case of chicken pox. I am completely baffled. His legs look awful. But otherwise he seems fine. No illnesses at all recently. He is generally quite healthy. |
Anonymous
| My 10 yr old had a sore throat for few days last week. It got better. Then on Wed, a weird rash shows up behind both her knees. Looked like a lot of mosquito bites and was very itchy. I gave her benydryl and it helped the itching but the rash has since spread to inside her elbows and some random spots on her thighs and calves. No pus and not really pimply. Very itchy though so they are getting broken from her itching. Nothing on chest or back or neck or face. Has not eaten any new foods. Plan to go to ped tomorrow as this is day 5 but I don't have a clue what it is either. |
Anonymous
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I have a 5 y.o. boy who had a something weird flare up on his feet and lower legs this morning. Bumps looked liked mosquito bites when you first get them -- white and hard, with irregular edges. Rubbed some calendula ointment on his skin and the rash(?) disappeared within two hours, as suddenly as it appeared.
No food allergies, no contact with insects, no new foods. Had the evil stomach bug last week but was recovered by the time this showed up. |
Anonymous
| OP here. I took my son to the pediatrician this morning. She wasn't sure what the rash is either and said bug bites. I am not convinced as the rash is spreading. I am keeping my son home from school just in case. |
Anonymous
| Look up Molluscum Contagiousum. Little kids get it at school all the time. And it spreads from legs to arms to stomach because he's rubbing those parts against existing pimples. |
Anonymous
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Take him to a pediatric dermatologist if it doesn't get better soon. If the rash is itchy it's probably pretty miserable for him so be sure you are doing what you can to help minimize the itchiness. If the ped didn't prescribe something or recommend OTC med give them a call and ask.
It could be just a weird virus. |
Anonymous
I would hope a pediatrician would be able to identify this though. |
Anonymous
| I know someone else that has been through the same thing with her son - they are in MD. She actually took him to the ER last night when they spread to his whole body and was diagnosed with "Pneumonia, bronchitis and a severe allergic ...reaction to something... Not sure what." He had been sick all week already. |
Anonymous
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A few thoughts. First of all, I have found, with my now older child, that pediatricians have almost always misdiagnosed her weird skin phenomena. These have all turned out to be minor issues and easily treated, but I think pediatricians just don't have to learn the broad range of odd skin issues out there. To them, there are a few serious issues that require action, and then there are "bug bites".
My daughter had periodic (pre-pubescent) full-body pimply periods beginning when she was 5-ish. The pediatrician said "bug bites" as a default, because that's just what they say when they don't know. A dermatologist said "acneiform eruptions" probably caused by glands that got a little overactive during periods of rapid growth/change, maybe encouraged by dryness or irritating soap. In her case, changing soap, experimenting with moisturizers, and exfoliation with wash cloths helped. |
Anonymous
| OP again. I emailed a picture of my son's leg to my friend in Pennsylvania who is a PA in dermatology. Based on the pic, she said that it looks like molluscum contagiosum, as a PP suggested. I am waiting for her to get a break and call me to discuss. The irony is that during the urgent care visit yesterday, the doctor discovered that my son has a green plastic "foreign body" lodged in his ear, which the ped confirmed. Next stop is the ENT for emergency removal... |
Anonymous
| Good that the foreign body got noticed! |
Anonymous
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Oh wow, OP sorry about the thing in the ear! What a week you ate having!
I'm surprised about the Molluscum. I'm the antibiotic poster from above. My sons got Molluscum right now. I'd be a bit concerned if a pedi didn't recognize that.  I do think it's pretty common.
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Anonymous
| bed bugs? |