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Original poster

Diagnose this odd rash!

28 replies

SpawnChorus · 16/09/2010 20:56

Yesterday I noticed that DS (11mths) had a bit of a rash around his ankles. I put it down to a possible allergy to his new shoes (although I was doubtful as we're not at all allergicky as a family, and he was wearing socks, so no direct contact). Anyway, I've been keepig an eye on it and over the course of the day he has developed small spots up his lower legs, a "zit" type spot on his knee and a few (hard to see) spots on his palms and soles. His mouth looks rash free, and the rash blanches whe I do the glass test.

He seems totally fine in himself (eating normally, no fever), although he was a bit coldy / coughy a few days ago.

I'm loathe to cart him off to A&E for just a rash, but I'm also a bit baffled by it. It doesn't look blistery enough to be chicken pox, and the pattern of it's emergence seems unusual (from the ankles upwards!?).

I'll take him to the GPs tomorrow, but I just wondered if anyone else had experienced this type of lurgy.

PS - I googled it and came up with "Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever", which is a potentially fatal tick-bourne disease Hmm). I'm hoping this is unlikely as we haven't travelled to the States, and AFAIK haven't been sucked by any ticks.

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 16/09/2010 20:58

do you have pets?

Original poster
SpawnChorus · 16/09/2010 20:59

No...why??

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thisisyesterday · 16/09/2010 21:00

flea bites..... often appear on ankles!
and if he crawls sometimes that would explain why it would be on lower legs and hands too

jollyma · 16/09/2010 21:04

Look up hand, foot and mouth disease. A friends daughter had it several years ago and it rings a bell from your description. Its not serious btw.

Original poster
SpawnChorus · 16/09/2010 21:04

Ah, no def not flea bites. I've had some of them before and this rash is different. It's tiny little spots, somewhat like a "non-specific viral rash", but they are clustering around his ankles. And then there's the zit on his knee, which may be a red herring...perhas it's just a zit! (although he's not prone to acne yet!).

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Original poster
SpawnChorus · 16/09/2010 21:06

jollyma - actually that's one of the first things I thought of too, but he doesn't have any spots in his mouth, and would the rash have started on his ankles? and be spreading upwards?? He only has four or five tiny spots on his hands and feet.

OP posts:
wildstrawberryplace · 16/09/2010 21:07

hand, foot and mouth? DS had it last year, exact same symptoms.

Original poster
SpawnChorus · 16/09/2010 21:08

Really wildstrawb? The ankley thing too?

OP posts:
wildstrawberryplace · 16/09/2010 21:09

DS didn't have any visible spots in his mouth either, but was a bit off his food.

Original poster
SpawnChorus · 16/09/2010 21:09

And what about the current lack of mouth spots?

OP posts:
wildstrawberryplace · 16/09/2010 21:09

Yep

Original poster
SpawnChorus · 16/09/2010 21:11

Oh good!

(I think? Hmm Grin)

Thanks!

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jollyma · 16/09/2010 21:11

My boys haven't had it so i'm not sure if the mouth needs to be involved for diagnosis. See what doctor google says! Hope he gets better soon.

wildstrawberryplace · 16/09/2010 21:13

He had a few spots round his ankles, hands and it spread across his nappy area quite badly - it was confirmed by GP as hand foot and mouth despite this.

Is your DS otherwise well? Off his food? Any temp?

wildstrawberryplace · 16/09/2010 21:15

Sorry just seen you said eating OK and no temp in your OP.

Original poster
SpawnChorus · 16/09/2010 21:16

He was v crabby a couple of nights ago, but he seems fine now

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SayItWithWine · 16/09/2010 22:04

Sounds hand foot and mouthy. unfortunately kids don't always read the text books. If they'r slightly blistery I would say for definite

alypaly · 17/09/2010 00:01

if the spots are oozy or yellowish discharge it may be a staph aureus infection which needs antibiotics. If it is spreading i would get him checked out by a doctor.

alypaly · 17/09/2010 00:01

if they look slightly red ,like a mild burn it can sometimes be an infection too

Original poster
SpawnChorus · 17/09/2010 14:15

Well I took him to the GP and he didn't really know what it was. DS still seems fine in himself, and the rash hasn't got any worse, so I'm just going to wait and see. He's got one proper blister on his hand (looks like a tiny burn) and a ring of tiny spots around his ankles, the "zit" on his knee looks slightly better today.

THe GP has put in his notes "interesting wee rash" [hmm Grin

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Teabiscuit · 17/09/2010 17:12

Have you heard of molloscum contagiosum. Sounds like it could be that, small spots with pus looking stuff in them

alypaly · 18/09/2010 21:00

just decided it sounds a bit like pompholyx. my DS1 has just developed it but he is 22yrs

Casmama · 18/09/2010 21:05

I wouldn't like to disagree with your GP but it sounds like hand foot and mouth to me too. My ds had it a couple of weeks ago and it started with some spots on his knees - one that looked like a whitehead and some spots in his nappy area. He developed a total of about 8 little fluid filled blisters on hands and feet and nothing in his mouth. Was diagnosed by the GP. As above he was maybe a little grumpy and slightly off his food but other than that seemed fine.

Original poster
SpawnChorus · 18/09/2010 22:15

Have googled MC and pompholyx and it doesn't really look like either of them.

I think you're probably right casmama. I think it is a mild case of HFMD.

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