Pityriasis Rosea Background, Pathophysiology, Etiology. Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH Professor and Head of Dermatology, Professor of Pathology, Pediatrics, Medicine, and Preventive Medicine and Community Health, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Visiting Professor, Rutgers University School of Public Affairs and Administration. Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies Alpha Omega Alpha, New York Academy of Medicine, American Academy of Dermatology, American College of Physicians, Sigma Xi. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Pityriasis rosea This common skin disease causes patches on the skin. Your dermatologist may call the large patch a mother patch. The smaller patches are daughter. Coauthors. Camila K Janniger, MD Clinical Professor of Dermatology, Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Chief of Pediatric Dermatology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Camila K Janniger, MD is a member of the following medical societies American Academy of Dermatology. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Richard Lichenstein, MD Professor, Pediatric Emergency Department, University of Maryland School of Medicine. Richard Lichenstein, MD is a member of the following medical societies American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics. DB38033A409C7.jpg' alt='Herald Patch Pityriasis' title='Herald Patch Pityriasis' />Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Chief Editor. Dirk M Elston, MD Professor and Chairman, Department of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine Dirk M Elston, MD is a member of the following medical societies American Academy of Dermatology. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Manual De La Iglesia Adventista Del Septimo Dia Actualizado here. Acknowledgements. Robert A Allen, MD Staff Physician, Department of Dermatology, Drexel University College of Medicine Hahnemann Hospital. Robert A Allen, MD is a member of the following medical societies Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, and American Medical Association. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Jerry Balentine, DO Professor of Emergency Medicine, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Attending Physician in Department of Emergency Medicine, St Barnabas Hospital. Jerry Balentine, DO is a member of the following medical societies American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, American College of Physician Executives, American Osteopathic Association, and New York Academy of Medicine. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Kevin P Connelly, DO Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of General Pediatrics and Emergency Care, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine Medical Director, Paws for Health Pet Visitation Program of the Richmond SPCA Pediatric Emergency Physician, Emergency Consultants Inc, Chippenham Medical Center. Pityriasis rosea is a fairly common skin condition causing red raised scaly patches on the skin across the body. Kevin P Connelly, DO is a member of the following medical societies American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians, and American Osteopathic Association. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Burke A Cunha, MD Professor of Medicine, State University of New York School of Medicine at Stony Brook Chief, Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop University Hospital. Burke A Cunha, MD is a member of the following medical societies American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, and Infectious Diseases Society of America. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Pamela L Dyne, MD Professor of Clinical MedicineEmergency Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Olive View UCLA Medical Center. Herald Patch Pityriasis' title='Herald Patch Pityriasis' />Pamela L Dyne, MD is a member of the following medical societies American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Mark W Fourre, MD Program Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, Maine Medical Center Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Vermont School of Medicine. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Herald Patch Pityriasis' title='Herald Patch Pityriasis' />Rajendra Kapila, MD, MBBS Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey New Jersey Medical School. Rajendra Kapila, MD, MBBS is a member of the following medical societies American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Infectious Diseases Society of New Jersey. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Thomas M Kerkering, MD Chief of Infectious Diseases, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Thomas M Kerkering, MD is a member of the following medical societies Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians, American Public Health Association, American Society for Microbiology, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Medical Society of Virginia, and Wilderness Medical Society. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Mark G Lebwohl, MD Chairman, Department of Dermatology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Mark G Lebwohl, MD is a member of the following medical societies American Academy of Dermatology. Disclosure AmgenPfizer Honoraria Consulting Glaxo. Smith. Kline None Investigator Novartis Honoraria Consulting Ranbaxy None Consulting Pfizer None Consulting Bio. Line. RX, Ltd. Honoraria Consulting Celgene Corporation Consulting Clinuvel None Investigator Eli Lilly Co. Honoraria Consulting Genentech None Consulting Daniel R Lucey, MD, MPH Chief, Fellowship Program Director, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington Hospital Center Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Daniel R Lucey, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies Alpha Omega Alpha and American College of Physicians. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Amal Mattu, MD, FACEP, FAAEM Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine. Amal Mattu, MD, FACEP, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Jeffrey Meffert, MD Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology, University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio. Jeffrey Meffert, MD is a member of the following medical societies American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, Association of Military Dermatologists, and Texas Dermatological Society. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Giuseppe Micali, MD Head, Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Catania School of Medicine, Italy. Giuseppe Micali, MD is a member of the following medical societies American Academy of Dermatology. Descargar Gratis Adobe Flash Player Hd Para Windows 7 on this page. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Maria R Nasca, MD, Ph. D Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Catania School of Medicine, Italy. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Robert L Rogers, MD Staff Physician, Departments of Internal Medicine and Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland. Robert L Rogers, MD is a member of the following medical societies American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, and American College of Physicians American Society of Internal Medicine. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Francisco Talavera, Pharm. D, Ph. D Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy Editor in Chief, Medscape Drug Reference. Pityriasis Rosea American Osteopathic College of Dermatology AOCDPityriasis rosea is a common skin disease. It appears as a rash that can last from several weeks to several months. The way the rash looks may differ from person to person. It most often develops in the spring and the fall, and seems to favor adolescents and young adults. Pityriasis rosea is uncommon in those over 6. It may last months longer when it occurs in this age group. Usually there are no permanent marks as a result of this disease, although some darker skinned persons may develop long lasting flat brown spots. The skin rash follows a very distinctive pattern. In 34 of the cases, a single, isolated oval scaly patch the herald patch appears on the body, particularly on the trunk, upper arms, neck, or thighs. Often, the herald patch is mistaken for ringworm tinea corporis or eczema. Within a week or two more pink patches will occur on the body and on the arms and legs. These patches often form a pattern over the back resembling the outline of an evergreen tree with dropping branches. Patches may also appear on the neck and, rarely, on the face. These spots usually are smaller than the herald patch. The rash begins to heal after 2 4 weeks and is usually gone by 6 1. Sometimes the disease can cause a more severe skin reaction. Some patients with this disease will have some itching that can be severe, especially when the patient becomes overheated. Occasionally there may be other symptoms, including tiredness and aching. The rash usually fades and disappears within six weeks but can sometimes last much longer. Physical activity, like jogging or running, or bathing in hot water may cause the rash to temporarily worsen or reappear. In some cases, the patches will reappear up to several weeks after the first episode. This can continue for many months. The cause is unproven. It definitely is not caused by a fungus or bacterial infection. It also is not due to any known type of allergic reaction. This condition is not a sign of any type of internal disease. Since it is neither contagious nor sexually transmitted, there is no reason to avoid close or intimate contact when one has this eruption. There is some evidence that it is a relapse of Human Herpes Virus type 7 HH7 infection, as this virus has been isolated from blood, skin lesions, and white blood cells lymphocytes of pityriasis rosea patients. In other people HH7 is only found in the lymphocytes. This virus infects most of us as children, and we develop immunity to it. This is the reason it is so very uncommon for other members of the same household to come down with pityriasis rosea at the same time. A dermatologist can usually diagnose the condition quickly with an examination, but at times the diagnosis is more difficult. The numbers and sizes of the spots can vary and occasionally the rash can be found in an unusual location, such as the lower body or on the face. When there is no herald patch, reactions to medications, infection with fungus or syphilis a type of VD, or other skin diseases may resemble this rash. The dermatologist may order blood tests, skin scrapings or even may take a biopsy from one of the spots to examine under a microscope to reach a diagnosis. Treatment may include external and internal medications for itching. Aveeno oatmeal baths, anti itch medicated lotions and steroid creams may be prescribed to combat the rash. Lukewarm, rather than hot, baths may be suggested. Strenuous activity, which could aggravate the rash, should be discouraged. Ultraviolet light treatments given under the supervision of a dermatologist may be helpful. Recently, both the antiviral drug Famvir and the antibiotic erythromycin have been claimed to produce healing in one to two weeks. For severe cases a few days of oral anti inflammatory medications such as prednisone may be necessary to promote healing. For mild cases, no treatment is required as this disease is not a dangerous skin condition. Back to Index. The medical information provided in this site is for educational purposes only and is the property of the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice and shall not create a physician patient relationship. If you have a specific question or concern about a skin lesion or disease, please consult a dermatologist. Any use, re creation, dissemination, forwarding or copying of this information is strictly prohibited unless expressed written permission is given by the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.