Pityriasis Rosea Treatment in Hollywood, FL
Pityriasis rosea or “PR”, is common enough that you or someone you know has probably had it. It is a rash that covers most of the body with scaly oval shaped patches. Often a patient’s back will show a “Christmas tree pattern” in which the oval lesions on their back are lined up in a pattern that reminds one of a Christmas tree. Patients often come into our Hollywood dermatology clinic thinking they have ringworm because an individual lesion of PR is round and scaly much like ringworm, but PR is not an infection, as far as we know.
Or Is Pityriasis Rosea An Infection?
The truth is that doctors have long suspected that pityriasis rosea is caused by a virus, but so far no virus has been identified. We suspect a virus for two reasons:
- The rash looks “viral”. When somebody has a florid case of PR their whole back and trunk is covered (similar to other viruses like the measles or chicken pox).
- We tend to see cases of PR in clusters. I will sometimes see ten cases in two weeks and then nothing for months. The strange thing, though, is that family members and household contacts of these patients do not seem to “catch” pityriasis rosea.
The recent history of medicine is littered with examples of other diseases that existed for decades before an infectious cause was discovered. A few examples come to mind: cervical cancer was determined to be caused by human papilloma virus, many stomach ulcers are now thought to be caused by a bacteria called helicobacter pylori, and it was confirmed several years ago that a skin disease called Kaposi’s Sarcoma is caused by human herpesvirus- 8. But for now, pityriasis rosea is still considered to be an”inflammatory” skin rash and not an “infection”.
Pityriasis Rosea Symptoms
As mentioned above, pityriasis rosea is a rash that covers most of the body with scaly oval shaped patches. This rash often begins with an oval spot on the face, chest, abdomen or back. This spot is referred to as a herald patch and can be up to 4 inches in diameter. The rash will then spread out across the middle of the body. The rash can persist for several weeks and can be itchy, but will typically heal without scarring. You can book an appointment with an experienced dermatologist near you to assess the rash and provide the best treatment options for you.
Pityriasis Rosea VS Ringworm
The initial herald patch of pityriasis rosea is often mistaken for ringworm (tinea corporis) because it takes a week or two for the rest of the rash to appear on the body. The singular patch can have a similar circular appearance to that of ringworm. There are a few differences between the herald patch of pityriasis rosea and ringworm:
- Ringworm usually has a flat center which makes the ring element of the rash more pronounced, where the herald patch of pityriasis rosea will typically have a raised border or depressed center.
- Ringworm can occur anywhere on your body, where pityriasis rosea is a rash that appears typically only on your mid-body, upper arms, or legs.
- As the pityriasis rosea rash spreads out from the herald patch it will take on the look of branches of a pine tree where ringworm does not look like a tree at all.
Pityriasis Rosea Prognosis & Treatment
Pityriasis rosea tends to last 4 to 6 weeks in most patients. Pityriasis rosea is not dangerous. It resolves without treatment. We will often prescribe a cortisone lotion at our dermatology office to help with itching if there is any, but it does not affect the duration of the rash. PR goes away when it wants to. However, a little sunlight (10 to 15 minutes a day) can sometimes help to clear it up faster. Sometimes we will do a blood test for syphilis because it can look very similar to PR. As a dermatologist, we love to treat pityriasis rosea because patients come in thinking they have something like “the plague”, and we can take one look at this fairly distinct rash and assure them that they have nothing to worry about. If you live in or near Hollywood, Fl and have been dealing with a persistent rash for several weeks, we urge you to come into our office for an assessment and diagnosis. Contact the team here at Minars Dermatology online or call us at 954-987-7512.
