April 8, 2018

Pityriasis Rosea

Pityriasis rosea is a relatively common, self-limiting skin condition that causes a temporary rash of raised, red scaly patches on the body.

It starts with round to oval patch 2-10 cm, red-pink in colour also known as Herald’s patch & commonly appears on chest, neck, tummy, the less commonly affected part is genitals, face & scalp. Sometimes this rash is associated with fever, headache & joint pain.

These patches then spreads slowly to the other parts of the body like chest, back, tummy, neck, upper arms and upper thighs in a smaller groups, sometimes itchy, usually lasts for 2-12 weeks but can extend upto 4-5 months too.

Treatment includes application of emollients, anti-histaminics, steroidal creams & UVB light therapy.

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Ichthyosis (ick-thee-OH-sis) is a skin disease that causes extremely dry, thick, and scaly skin resembles fish scales.

These are a heterogeneous group of disorders with both inherited and acquired forms. these are the types

Ichthyosis Vulgaris- Most common type of icthyosis Lamellar Ichthyosis- Lamellar ichthyosis is characterized by dark, plate (armor)-like scale. Epidermolytic Hyperkeratosis- characterized by generalized redness and fine white scale Congenital Ichthyosiform Erythroderma- newborn infant with ichthyosis who presented at birth with collodion baby appearance. X-linked Ichthyosis- due to a defect in the enzyme steroid sulfatase, affects males with generalized scaling that usually begins soon after birth.

Ichthyosis Treatment

Several hours each day may need to be devoted the skin if ichthyosis is present in an individual. Daily, a person will need to take a shower or a bath. The skin should be exfoliated on a daily basis, and moisturised well. Moisturising ointments or creams may need to be prescribed by a dermatologist for the individual. Oral retinoids can be prescribed to reduce scaling. If a secondary infection occurs on the skin, oral antibiotics will need to be prescribed. Tips that will help keep the skin looking and feeling its best include applying a good quality lotion within 3 minutes of bathing. Apply to wet skin to keep moisture trapped into the skin. Products that contain lactic acid, alpha hydroxy acids and urea will help to keep skin not only moisturised but also exfoliated. Rubbing a wet pumice stone over crusty scales on the skin can help to remove them. Should there be scales on the scalp, brushing wet hair gently will aid in removing the scales.

Pityriasis Rosea