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Original poster

can anyone diagnose this rash ? (pictures on profile)

20 replies

beesonmummyshead · 11/10/2009 20:00

hello. dd is 2. for the best part of /3 months she has had a rash on her upper chest. It started off pinkish and a bit like eczema. Over the last 3 weeks or so it has spread and looks blotchy, it is in separate "patches" on her chest.

I took her to a doctor who said it was fungal but the canesten cream did nothing. the rash spread to her neck (faint blotchiness) and then i discovered my dog had mange (I know, ewwwww ) and the vet diagnosed my daughter as having mange too.

so i took daughter to the docs again. the second doctor said it is not fungal, it is not mange but it is indeed eczema. now it has spread to her groin, where it is in an "s" shape (no pics of this area for obvious reasons ) and her back where it is in little pink fingertip size patches, although I know from experience those will grow.

dd assures me they don't hurt and don't itch.

they get redder the hotter she is, and some have like pin prick dots of dark red in them (seen by doctor too).

they are not scaly, seem a bit dry but do not feel rough to tough. If I were blind for example, I would never know they were there.

So what are they? please help before dd turns into a huge red monster

OP posts:
Katz · 11/10/2009 20:01

no profile visable.

Original poster
beesonmummyshead · 11/10/2009 20:06

sorry, it is now

OP posts:
Katz · 11/10/2009 20:09

nope - have your made your profile public? i can't see it.

hobnob57 · 11/10/2009 20:12

Can't see your profile but it sounds similar to something DD had in January this year. She was covered in it, and it went away eventually after a few weeks. I put diprobase on it to stop it from drying out.

My theories are that it was
a) a weird virus
b) a delayed reaction from having too much dairy over Xmas (she is a recovering intolerant)
c) just one of those winter things

FlightAttendant · 11/10/2009 20:15

I'm not sure canesten would work if it was ringworm. Also ringworm tends to itch as does eczema or anything fungal.

Strange.

Original poster
beesonmummyshead · 11/10/2009 20:17

its there now!!! my pictures are there!!!

OP posts:
FlightAttendant · 11/10/2009 20:18

Hmm yes I see it

It is much fainter than I would expect for either eczema or ringworm tbh.

It could be a mild fungal thing, they do take a while to respond to the cream - how long did you try it for?

I remember ds1 had a strange rash (that too was kind of patchy) and it stayed for MONTHS before just buggering orf on its own.

The Dr was clueless but also said eczema (didn't itch either) and I suspected him of saying that about every rash he didn't recognise tbh

I would say if it isn't bothering her or spreading to you, you might be well just to forget about it and, erm, wait

I ought to be a GP really.

Original poster
beesonmummyshead · 11/10/2009 20:20

hmmm hobnob, dd had a dairy intolerance for the first 10/1 months of her life, but has had dairy now for the last 12 months at least, she does get occasional bouts of eczema on her chest because of this, but the rash she has now is much much more ANGRY looking. the pics on profile don't do it justice really.

I am not too bothered given that it is not causing dd and hassle, I would just like to know what it is, because it does look pretty horrid to others who always ask what it is.

OP posts:
Hullygully · 11/10/2009 20:21

Get a referral to a dermatologist.

Original poster
beesonmummyshead · 11/10/2009 20:22

you're right flight, both in that you probably should be a GP as you sound just like mine (well not exactly like, as you didn't tell me the rash was a virus ) and in the fact that I really ought to just forget about it.

I tried the fungal cream for about 3 weeks, but it spread during that time and after.

OP posts:
Katz · 12/10/2009 12:27

bees - i have a dd with a rare skin condition which took several GP's, (although thankfully all in one appointment) 1 general outpatients and then a dermatology referral to get a diagnosis, so i'd say push for a referral, dermatologists know what they're looking at whereas GP's tend to be generalists, even the dermatology specialist at our GP's didn't know what was wrong with DD2! He knew what is wasn't!

alypaly · 12/10/2009 12:37

it sounds like your daughter may well have sarcoptic mange which is transmitted from dogs to humans.

Check in the webs between her fingers to see if there are and little marks or burrows.

i work in a pharmacy and i have always found benzoyl benzoate or permethrin cream to be really affective see attached webpage
www.patient.co.uk/medicine/Benzyl-Benzoate.htm

FlightAttendant · 12/10/2009 13:41

Alypaly - isn't that like scabies? I mean, surely it would drive her mad with itching, and have spread to the rest of the family by now?

That's what is confusing me here.

alypaly · 12/10/2009 14:34

yeah she would be itching and if you have held her alot it is likely to have spread to you. Mange is what they call it with animals ,scabies is the term they use for us ,but you are right,its the same thing.

Is it discoid eczema...does it look anything like thatwww.patient.co.uk/doctor/Discoid-(Nummular)-Eczema.htm

Just a thought ...has she had some leather reins on her.

itsmeolord · 12/10/2009 16:14

Guttate Psoriasis? Are the patches shiny and almost teardrop shaped?

My dd has this and it was misdiagnosed as;

  1. allergy to suncream
  2. allergy to sunlight
  3. viral rash
  4. over use of soap (I never used any ever)

A dermatologist took one look at my (by that time) 90% covered dd and diagnosed it.

Has she has lost of sore throat type bugs? Streptococcus is a trigger for guttate.

itsmeolord · 12/10/2009 16:16

Sorry should have said, with dd the small patches do indeed grow to join and make larger patches.

A high dose steroid cream and daily emollient worked wonders.
Coal tar body washes are recommended as well.

LimeJellyforBrains · 12/10/2009 16:31

It may be pityriasis rosea. My son had a rash last year that sounds identical to your daughter's. After a couple of different guesses from a couple of different GPs (ringworm, psoriasis etc) a third GP came up with this diagnosis and it seemed to fit best. Worst when he was hot, not itchy, spread all over torso from chest. Took months to disappear but did eventually and has not recurred (so far). HTH

FlightAttendant · 12/10/2009 16:43

Ooh that rings a bell, I think I self-diagnosed ds with that actually, but I never bothered to remember it as I wasn't sure it was that iyswim - the GP had no idea.

Sounds just the same though.

Original poster
beesonmummyshead · 12/10/2009 16:58

wow thanks all, I have had a look through all of your suggestions.

alypaly I thought it could be mange, but it is not itcing her at all, has taken a few weeks to spread from chest to back and there are no marks between fingers. It could be discoid eczema, it is certainly disc shaped but not scaly or very red though it is dry. she has not had leather reins or leather anything near her, as the smell makes me feel sick!

itsmeolord definitely not shiny or teardrop shaped although we do as a household suffer from sore throats,but I don't think thats it...

limejellyforbrains I think that could be it!!

I was all for going along with the discoid eczema diagnosis, but the pictures of Pityriasis rosea are very similar to dd's (although hers are not quite as red) and the description on wikipaedia here is identical!

I will investigate cures, but may well take her bak to the doctor and ask their opinion and if they disagree with me, push for a referral like Katz suggested

Thanks all, I love mumsnet!!

OP posts:
CMOTdibbler · 12/10/2009 20:32

I had pitiryasis versicolour, and the GP said that the really defining feature (he was v proud of knowing what it was straight away) was the 'christmas tree' spread on my back - sort of lines curving out. It was just as you describe.

I had oral anti fungals, and it cleared up in a couple of weeks

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