Why are there faint red spots all over my kid's body?

Q. Why are there faint red spots all over my kid's body?

Answered by
Dr. Ashwini. V. Swamy
and medically reviewed by iCliniq medical review team.
This is a premium question & answer published on Apr 19, 2018 and last reviewed on: Jul 21, 2023

Hello doctor,

My daughter has faint red/pink flat spots all over her body. I first noticed spots on her face a few nights ago. No fever. The only other symptom she has is a wet cough. She has had a cough for two weeks and was diagnosed with tonsillitis almost two weeks ago.

#

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

With your description, I can list a few possible diagnoses.

  1. Pityriasis rosea - most likely. It is a self-limiting condition. It is a reaction of the body to viral infections, not contagious.
  2. Drug rash - may be due to Amoxicillin.
  3. Guttate psoriasis - common in children, usually follows upper respiratory tract infections.
  4. Viral rash.

It is difficult to make a diagnosis without seeing a clinical picture. Can you please add a few clear pictures of the rash so that I can see finer details? Is there a similar rash on the palms and soles, inside the mouth, eye or genitals? Is the rash itchy or painful? Has she taken measles vaccine?

Thank you doctor,

The rash is not on any of those areas. And she says it does not itch. She does not appear to be in pain and had her vaccinations.

#

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Thank you for sharing the pictures and answering my questions. I saw the pictures (attachment removed to protect patient identity). This is pityriasis rosea.

Since she has no fever and itching, this is not a viral fever rash, and cannot be a drug rash too because rashes will be intensely itchy and involve palms and soles, mouth, eye, and genitals.

Pityriasis rosea is a self-limiting condition. It is body's reaction to viral/bacterial infections. It is not an infection per se, hence not contagious.

It starts with a single oval-round rash with minimal scales at the edges, involving arms, neck, chest, abdomen, back, and thighs. The peak of rashes will be around the fourth week of onset of the first rash. After that, rashes fade away in another two weeks. Usually, there are no symptoms like itching or pain. Sometimes, there can be itching. In such cases, mild to moderate potent topical corticosteroids cream will be helpful.

Since she has no itching, she does not need topical corticosteroids. However, to decrease the redness, apply calamine lotion topically to the rashes once a day at night. It helps soothe the skin. Use a mild soap like Dove or Cerave for bathing. Use a moisturizer with Ceramide content in it like Eucerine or Cerave lotion immediately after bath. Ceramide helps to restore the normal skin protective barrier and rashes heal faster. Avoid very hot water shower, use warm water. The rash looks widespread, but this is a mild skin condition. Nothing to worry. She should be fine in another three to four weeks with all the rashes gone.

For more information consult a dermatologist online --> https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/dermatologist


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