Burst blood vessels/Petichiae on DS back?

[workworkworkugh]

So DS14 was sitting and leaning back on a chair last week and the next day had these marks on his back which look like burst blood vessels/petechiae.

I have attached a photo but it's not a very good angle (thought I had a better one).
It's just gone away after a week.
He's again sat in a chair and has more burst blood vessels on his back but no where near as bad as last time.

Is it normal to bruise so easily like this? He wasn't hit or injured or anything and is otherwise healthy.

I think i'd want to get that checked out OP

He might meed a blood test to check his platelets? Query ITP.

I wasn't really concerned at the time but now it's happened again quite easily although this time it's just a very small mark, not really doctor worthy I don't think.
These darker marks have now gone.

I think it is doctor worthy, OP. You can show the GP the photos you have etc.

Hi OP, my son was always getting petechial rashes when he was little, but that was with quite some force and they were always usually smaller in area than a £2 (aside from the off one which covered his tummy but never found out what caused that). If your son has experienced this type of rash by only sitting in a chair, it definitely warrants investigation by the GP; likely a blood test. IS he well in himself? Any night sweats / tiredness / other bruising?

@Jaybird43 he's absolutely fine, no other issues at all.
We sort of laughed it off after sitting in the chair but now those marks are gone and it's happened again (but to a much lesser extent) it's just something that we're noticing.
Plus it's summer here and he walks around with no shirt on, so more easily noticeable.

His younger brother is having blood tests and investigations for something else, I feel like the doctors will think I'm a hypochondriac if I'm there with another kid haha
Of course I will take him though

This happened to DS also at the age of 14. He'd been laying on something at school and the spots were still spreading when he got home. The GP saw him straight away as it was a spreading non-blanching rash, although DS wasn't unwell. We were sent to the children's assessment ward and they said they weren't sure what it was but weren't concerned as he was well in himself. They offered to do bloods but said they wouldn't push for them as DS is autistic and not very compliant.
We declined bloods and they gave us open access for 48 hours. It was gone the next day. It reappeared a month later and it's never come back.

We still don't know what it was. DS said both times he'd been laying on the tarmac in the school playground. It's that bouncy black tarmac that they have in play areas (it's a special school). I doubt it was the tarmac as he's been at the school 7 years and it's not happened since.

Thanks for the replies.
Is this even a petechial rash?
I can't seem to get a good clear photo but they are small pin prick spots across the top of his back but in clusters (if that makes sense). They don't blanch when pressed.
I have booked him a GP appt for the end of the week but don't want to waste their time either if it's just a hormonal thing or something.

What kind of chair is he sitting in? DS gets the same markings after sitting for long periods at his desk in one of those mesh type adjustable office chairs.

@TheWildRumpyPumpus a metal back chair in the kitchen, these spots are here all the time lately

I would see if you can get an earlier appointment - especially if he’s unwell in himself. Otherwise, keep a close eye on him but Gp will likely request a blood test to check platelets

can I ask you do you know why your son got these spots?

Also think he needs a blood test to check his platelets to rule out ITP .

Hi Mimiduncan! I saw a few of your comments about your DD getting persistent petechiae. I’m going though the same thing … very worried. Did you ever have a resolution?

thanks so much !

@Karnold1012 - I’m not the OP but my DC get a lot of petechial rashes. IME, both children had to have blood tests for each rash they had to make sure it was nothing sinister (i.e. leukaemia) and to check platelets. I was told by docs that if DC presented with a petechial rash and was unwell, to go straight to A&E. We never did find out why my DS was so prone to them but he seems to have grown out of them - I suspect the men B jab had some part of it as he only starting developing them after he had received the jab when he was 3

Thanks for the info! My DD is well, blood tests all came back normal. I’m hoping she grows out of it soon. How long did it take your DS?

Hi,

I don’t 😔

we are gonna see a haematologist in September. Hopefully she will
find the cause.

did your little one had any blood test?

Yep! It all came back normal. We’ve seen multiple doctors who think it’s from rubbing/trauma but she gets it so often it bothers me. But all the blood work was perfect

Same here. Is she getting it every day?

Close to it…. It generally is around her armpits but once in awhile some will pop up other places

My daughter has ITP (not all of the time) and gets these kind of rashes when her platelets are low, usually AFTER an illness of some kind, like a virus etc. she is perfectly well in herself. In fact, she is now starting (fingers crossed) to grow out of it and the rash gets less and less each year and sometimes after a virus she doesn’t get it all thank goodness as it’s very frightening. We had never heard of it prior to her diagnosis and neither had a lot of the nurses at the hospital as it is quite rare. Please get him checked out as it can be very serious, thankfully, her body has sorted itself after each episode but I am always cautious.

@Karnold1012 it took my son about 7 years to grow out of it - he’s 10 now and would have approx 1 rash every couple months. Every time he had one, I would go to the GP, who would either arrange a blood test ASAP or tell me to go straight to A&E where we would be admitted to a child’s ward. He would have a blood test, we would be told to prepare ourselves for a leukaemia diagnosis, the bloods would come back fine and we would be told to bring him
back if he developed another rash… rinse and repeat for years! I’m glad our GP and hospital took it seriously but, honestly, the stress we had with it! My DD had a few (4 I think) but she just had a blood test as an outpatient as they knew about DS and said it could just be what my kids get! No one else I know gets them - which is why I find these threads reassuring! We’ve seen paediatricians and one said it was likely due to DS’s platelets being too high / low - she couldn’t seem to decide!