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Original poster

Any ideas what this rash might be???

61 replies

thebluefoxategreensocks · 02/04/2009 23:48

Just wondering whether anyone has come across a rash like this before? My 2yo son has had it covering his back for over 2 weeks now. It started out fairly high on the back but soon spread to cover most of the back (areas he couldn't even reach to scratch). It's evidently quite itchy though! He has rather severe eczema (all over his body, nearly!), but this rash seems rather different. Mainly in that it won't respond at all to any emollients! The eczema varies in its intensity and when he gets covered in Epaderm at night, provided he doesn't scratch too much in the night, the eczema is fairly calm by morning. But nothing seems to have any impact on his back - and it looks different too! The closest I've come to dealing with it was using Calamine lotion - I nearly thought it was clearing up, but that didn't last and it's gotten worse the past few days.

Anyway, I know doctors have to diagnose things! But I'm getting various opinions without any firm ideas or solutions! One of my midwives (who's own son has eczema) was sure it was a form of eczema; I took him to a GP later that day (about 1.5 weeks ago) and she thought it looked viral rather than eczema (the rash did have occasional spots with heads mixed in around the neck area at that stage); and then I took him to a different GP on Monday and he said it wasn't viral, but perhaps something eczema like though maybe infected? So he prescribed Fucidic acid cream - and is going to write off to get us a referral to a dermatologist (for eczema in general really) but that could take ages! Soooo, just wondered if anyone has any ideas what it might be - it's not nice!

Here is what it looked like on Monday:

i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk108/rachins_photos/misc/rash.jpg

i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk108/rachins_photos/misc/rash2.jpg

and this is what it's like tonight, having gotten rather worse last night/today.

i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk108/rachins_photos/misc/updatedrash.jpg

I don't think the fucidic acid cream is working - but then again, I didn't really feel the rash was infected anyway! So don't really know where to go from here.

This is what the eczema on his feet looks like, which is quite different in many ways to the odd rash on his back:

i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk108/rachins_photos/misc/rash3.jpg

Any ideas?? It's quite stressful trying to deal with this at the moment, as I'm 40w 1d pregnant right now! And he's already waking in the nights with the eczema...so the rash on his back only adds to the problems! But so far visits to the GPs have proved fairly pointless, as they don't seem to really know what it is!

OP posts:
BananaFruitBunny · 02/04/2009 23:54

I think you need a trip to a specialist. Has no-one referred you?
My DS's version was a bit like your DS's, turned out to be eczema. But then he did go to a specialist who gave him some (shit, I can't remember).

HTH. Although not knowing the name of the cream won't.

jellycat · 03/04/2009 00:00

Looks a bit like eczema to me. For infected eczema you need Fucidin H or FuciBET not Fucidin, was it definitely Fucidin the GP prescribed? Have you tried any steroid creams on it?

ScottishThistle · 03/04/2009 00:02

Has he any rash/redness of the face or arms?

Original poster
thebluefoxategreensocks · 03/04/2009 00:08

It's "Fucidin Cream" (fusidic acid) that he prescribed. Haven't tried steroid creams on his back, as they made the eczema in other places far worse. So that the latest GP agreed that we want to avoid steriods if possible, as they're making his skin problems worse rather than better.

He's had eczema nearly a year now...but it only got rather worse in January. As in, it finally appeared on his face (previously only being on his legs & feet, so able to be covered with clothes). Once it came on his face, and he was scratching at it quite badly, I felt I needed to finally give in and take him to the doctors to see if we could clear it up. However, it's just gotten totally out of hand since trying the emollients/bath oils/steroids that the various GPs have prescribed. I'd been able to keep it under control before, but now it's spreading to all over his body and is just awful!

OP posts:
Original poster
thebluefoxategreensocks · 03/04/2009 00:12

BananaFruitBunny: The GP is going to write for a referral to a dermatologist, but that could take months! I feel I need to see someone now but don't know how!

ScottishThistle: he doesn't have any of the same rash (as on back) on his face or arms. The eczema on his face comes and goes, but usually is much better by morning after having the Epaderm on it. And he's got patches of it on his hands, but they're quite different to the back. He is starting to get a circle of rash around his neck...either spreading from the back or from him scratching around his neck. But no where else has anything like this - and its odd to have it so far down his back, as all the other places he has skin problems are always made worse when he gets his hands on them, but he can't reach the lower back!

OP posts:
ScottishThistle · 03/04/2009 00:12

Have you asked for allergy testing? Tried cutting out different foods?

With one of my charges dairy was to blame and with another gluten made her skin worse.

ScottishThistle · 03/04/2009 00:14

The rash on his back looks very like "slapped cheek" to me but that would eventually come on the face/arms.

jellycat · 03/04/2009 00:22

Oh dear, I'm not sure what to suggest .

Original poster
thebluefoxategreensocks · 03/04/2009 00:30

I also posted this message on the "children's health" section here on MN and someone suggested Pityriasis Rosea...so I've googled that and seems a possible diagnosis! www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/pityriasis-rosea-topic-overview I found more than 1 image in a google search that looked very similar to his back, and various things about it sound possible. Soo, maybe that's what it is!

OP posts:
lottiebunny · 03/04/2009 00:35

It looks very much like when my brother gets prickly heat.

Try calamine lotion to relieve itching, cotton clothes and keep him very clean ie bath at twice a day minimum. Prickly heat is caused blocked sweat glands so if it is that then constant cleaning will help. Obviously, calamine with help with itching and cotton clothes will help if it is a dermatological problem anyway.

ScottishThistle · 03/04/2009 00:40

Don't bath him often, not good for eczema!

Looks like you may have found something there Rachel, go back to the Dr with your idea and see what they say!

CMOTdibbler · 03/04/2009 10:00

I was looking at it and thinking that it looked just like the Pityriasis that I have had - cleared up in a few days with anti fungals, but was really itchy. Nothing else had touched it, and my GP was dead pleased that he knew what it was straight off

Original poster
thebluefoxategreensocks · 03/04/2009 11:11

Well, Benjamin certainly isn't overbathed! He only gets a bath twice a week...since birth!

OP posts:
TheShipsCat · 03/04/2009 11:26

Sorry, can't help but I did just want to say poor little thing. It does look a bit like prickly heat as someone else said. My dd gets excema too, so I know how awful it can be and what a worry. She also has some unidentified rash at the moment - as does dd2. GPs are rubbish at skin stuff. Anyway, no help at all, but good luck!

mathsmummy27 · 03/04/2009 11:44

My DD has had folliculitis which looked similar, even though it wasn't like the pics I found on google - she had a course of antibiotics. It started with a small rash on trunk and grew like described.

BoffinMum · 03/04/2009 12:00

My DS2 got this as a result of a washing powder allergy. His skin also felt a bit sandpapery. We switched to Filetti for everything, even sheets, and it went away. But I am sure as a hardened eczema mum you have considered this.

BoffinMum · 03/04/2009 12:02

Dr David Atherton is the top children's dermatologist - he is semi-retired now, but has a private clinic or alternatively has published loads of good books for parents on all this stuff.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 03/04/2009 12:03

Does it feel very dry?

If my DDs eczema had flared up as much as that it would feel like sandpaper.

Original poster
thebluefoxategreensocks · 03/04/2009 15:20

The rash on his back isn't very dry like the way his skin gets on his feet - just a bumpy rash really!

OP posts:
fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 03/04/2009 19:29

Is it very itchy?

treedelivery · 03/04/2009 19:32

oh Rachel

His poor feet and back

Nothing usefull to say am really sorry - but hope he isn't to upset by it all.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 03/04/2009 19:35

I ask because it looks like an allergy to me, have you tried Piriton to see if that settles it?

treedelivery · 03/04/2009 19:38

piriton very good idea - for any skin complaint according to my GP. I just remembered We were disgussing the licensing of drugs and he used that as an example of a drug being used for something not intended for. He does it.

Apologies for lack of quality in typing post - am doing this one handed and half asleep.

MotherofInvention · 03/04/2009 20:07

It's difficult to tell from your pics but it's worthwhile exploring the possibility of acute urticaria - very common allergic reaction in children that causes itchy hives (but not always) in response to something that isn't always established. Kids usually grow out of it and it isn't dangerous. My boys have had it several times. You can get antihistamines for the itching (piriton is good) and steroids if it gets really bad. Have a look here:

Original poster
thebluefoxategreensocks · 03/04/2009 20:43

I've not used Piriton for the rash on his back, but we tried it for his eczema in general (were given a prescription for it when we first saw GP about the eczema, to give it to him before bedtime) but afraid it seemed to make him have hyper-active-itching in his sleep! As if he was more energised to itch...something we certainly don't need, as he's bad enough without it! So afraid I didn't persist giving it to him.

The rash does seem to be quite itchy, and he always grabs for his back when his clothes are off. Or scratches around his neck when he gets too hot etc. However, he seemed a bit more relaxed about the rash today...after I went back to calamine lotion today. That has seemed to give the most relief, so I think I'll just try to relax and keep putting that on and hope it's a virus and will go away eventually! Or maybe try some calamine cream of sorts to give some moisturising at the same time.

OP posts:
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