Brother's Rash
 

I chose to post here because we all know that TFP people are great. Anyway, my younger brother (14) has been getting these rashes since he was a baby. Just today some of them popped up again. He's got a big splotch on his inner wrist, all the way up his spine, and on his forearm around his elbow.

It's not pimply, or dry or anything like that. It looks like swollen blood vessels or something, very red, and he says it's a little itchy. He woke up with it, and put pen marks around it this morning to see if it would spread, and by tonight it had. I've looked this up, but it doesn't seem very common. (Not like excema or blistery or anything like that). As far as we know he's not allergic to anything, hasn't done/eaten anything different in the last bit. Oh, and it always seems to come around March/April every year, yet we still have a bunch of snow on the ground, no big signs of spring.

Any ideas? I'm stumped :confused:

Thanks.

I'm a gonna go with the obligatory: Go see a doctor!

But make sure it's a dermatologist and not just a general practitioner- you want a skin doctor for this. Perhaps in the meantime he can take some benadryl to see if it goes down- and if so it's probably an allergic reaction to something in the air. Does he only get it at a certian time of year or is it a year round thing? Your post wasn't very clear on that point.

Hmmmm...the along the spine thing makes me want to say shingles, but I believe they are blistery like chicken pox. I agree with Sage, a skin doctor is the way to go. Rashes are definitely not fun.

Doctor, unfortunately. There are many kinds of rashes, many recurring, from a number of different causes. Only a doctor can tell you, and yes, a dermatologist would be best as a start. Could be an allergy -- snow or not, there's pollen in the air, and also fungi (especially indoors) -- but the dermatologist is the place to start.

He only gets it around Spring time, not all year round.

Okay so here's the status today. Everything appeared yesterday morning, and today everything has disappeared. :confused: He says he feels like his hands are 'puffy' or something. He does have a mild cold (who doesn't :D ) but if he's been getting this for years, I don't know if the cold is a factor. My family typically doesn't go to the doctor that often (I suppose people would say more reason to go) but we will go if it is serious.

my nephew had similar problems on his hands after he went swimming. Maybe its some sort of chemical thats bothering him?

When I was younger, I used to get similar symptoms in the spring and fall. My doctor eventually diagnosed me with Fifth Disease, so called because it was the fifth virus affecting children that includes a rash. I believe the other four are rubella, scarlet fever, measles and scarlatinella.

I was told that I was exposed to it once and it just kept cycling through my body, hence the reason it popped up about every six months. Unfortunately, there are no treatments for Fifth Disease and I eventually just grew out of it. I'm not sure how that works, perhaps as I got older and had it more, my immune system could fight it better. I was eight when I had my first outbreak and sixteen when I had my last one. My outbreaks mostly occured on my face (making me look like I had been slapped all the time) and my chest and belly. They would last off and on for about a month and then reappear six months later. Nothing ever itched really badly, it was just puffy and a bit uncomfortable.

I don't know if that it was your brother has, but it sounds similar and might be worth looking into.

there are 6 viral exanthems of childhood:

1. measles (rubeola, 14 day measles)
2 scarlatina (scarlet fever)
3. German measles (rubella, 3 day measles)
4. fourth disease (duke's disease) - most experts say this no longer exists
5. fifth disease (erythema infectiosum)
6. sixth disease (roseola infantum, exanthem subitum, rose rash of infants)

the other common viral exanthem of childhood, that's not considered in there is chickenpox.

oh, and fifth disease has always been described as recurring, but usually on the order of weeks to months... 10 years sounds a bit long! but i suppose it's possible.

in any event...

he's itching, use hydrocortisone.
what's the cause of his recurrent rash? i have no idea.

things that will probably be asked by any doctor: fever, abdominal pain, malaise, loss of appetite, irritability, muscular aches and pains?

i would imagine, that after going to the dermatologist, you and your brother will be told to take warm baths- don't make them extremely hot, perhaps use an oatmeal bath, use hydrocortisone for itching, and say a virus as the cause of the illness.

as long as your brother's feeling fine (not feeling lethargic), and the lesions aren't opening and crusting over, it's probably not a big deal.

btw, dermatology generally isn't too difficult. rules to follow with skin conditions:
if it's wet, make it dry.
if it's dry, make it wet.
if it itches, make it stop.
:D


just the opinion of one medical student.

It sounds to me like some of the skin allergies I've had reactions too. My Mom used to get rashes inside her elbow and on her wrist. The Dr told her it was stress.

My allergies often included puffy, swollen hands or glands. The rashes often responded to hydrocoritzone and an antihystamine. You could try an antihystamine such as Diphenhydramine Hydrocloride e or clorphenamarine maleate. Claritan can also help but it's longer lasting and if that isn't it you have to wait to take certain other medications.

I agree with those here who suggest seeing a Dr. Even a family Dr might be able to help you. One cream they MIGHT prescribe is Triamcinolone with is a antihystamine and cortizone blend. It worked well for me more than once. You can only get it by prescription though.

As for shingles - sometimes they form into blisters but not always. They will form in LINES that often follow the ribs radiating outward from the spine because they follow the nerve endings. Look for any patterns in the rashes besides blotches. Get thee to a physician post haste if you should find lines.

Thank you for posting the link because now this is what I seem to think it is.
Here's some things from the website I found the same:

It actually does look lacy, but I could never could think of a term for description. On the trunk and limbs..

He ALWAYS gets colds the spring, and yes, this year was no exception. Coughing, sneezing, sinus problems etc.

He wasn't, just had the sniffles and that was it. The rash disappeared in 1 or 2 days.

He actually complained of his hands and feet being "swollen" but I didn't believe him, so I didn't mention it here. Now that I see that written above, I'm convinced.

The part about it being 'contagious' Hmm.. He had the cold, gave it to me, and then now my dad has it. Eek.

He has had the cold FOREVER I tell you.

I hope this is what the problem is because it doesn't seem too serious and it finally solves the mystery my family has been wondering about for years and years. THANK YOU!

In any event, it may pop up again, who knows. I'll be sure to keep all of your suggestions in mind and look for symptoms. Thanks :D

I'm glad I could help... if this is what he has, hopefully he will grow out of it soon. :)