Heart Failure

Cardiovascular Clinical Consult

Adult Immunization

Hepatic Disease 

Behcet’s Disease

Rare Disorders

Pediatric Immunization

Implementing The Topcon Ocular Telehealth Platform

Weight Management

Screening

Monkeypox

Guidelines

Men's Health

Panic Disorder  

Anxiety

Eating Disorders

Depression

Substance-related Disorders

ADHD

Psychiatry 

Seasonal Allergies

Allergy

Nutrition 

Pregnancy and Birth

Women's Health

Atrial Fibrillation

Cholesterol Disorders

Cardiovascular Disease

Hypertension

Cardiology

Substance Use

Child/Adolescent

Pediatrics

Kidney Disease

Genetics

Medical Cannabis

Complimentary & Alternative Medicine

Skin Diseases

Dermatology

Thyroid Disorders 

Diabetes

Diabetes Type 2

Insulin

Endocrinology 

Oral Medicine 

Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases

Fibromyalgia

Pain

Irritable Bowel Syndrome 

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Gastrointestinal Disorders

Geriatrics

Coronavirus

Hepatitis C

Cold, Cough, and Flu

Bacterial Conjunctivitis

Immunization

Influenza

HIV AIDS

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Infection

Osteoporosis

Imaging 

Musculoskeletal Disorders  

Obesity

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Arthritis

Gout

Rheumatology

Technology

Colorectal Cancer

Kidney Cancer

Lung Cancer

Melanoma

Skin cancer

Prostate Cancer

Breast Cancer

Cervical Cancer

Cancer

Nephrology

Anemia

Dementia

Epilepsy

Cerebrovascular Diseases

Headache and Migraine

Parkinson Disease

Alzheimer disease

Stroke

Mental Health

Headache

Migraine

Nervous System Diseases

Sleep Disorders

Neurology

Asthma

Cystic Fibrosis

COPD

Pneumonia

Respiratory Diseases

Pulmonology

News

All News

Office Procedures

Practice Management

Media

Around the Practice

Between the Lines

ConsultantLive

Expert Interviews

Institutional Insights

Medical World News

Podcasts

Primary View

Provider Toolkits

Readout360

Conferences

Conference Coverage

Conference Listing

Resources

Image IQ

Interactive Posters

Polls

Publications

Quizzes

Subscribe

CE/CME

Advertise

Contact Us

Terms and Conditions

Privacy

Do Not Sell My Information

Patient Care Online

Facebook

LinkedIn

Clinical Focus

Allergy & Immunology

Endocrinology

Gastroenterology

Infectious Disease

Men’s Health

Pain Management

Psychiatry

Women’s Health

Business Focus

Billing and Collections

Career Planning

Coding and Documentation

Concierge Medicine

Cybersecurity

EHRs

Investing

Patient Relations

Personal Finance

Remote Patient Monitoring

Staffing

Telehealth

Value-based Care

Spotlight

Unmet Needs in Managing MDD

Interpreting Thyroid Function Tests

Using Thyroid Lab Tests

Testing & Screening to Optimize Men's Health

1rem

Authors

For a week, a 36-year-old Marine had clusters of localized papular lesions on the right forearm; he had no systemic symptoms. The patient had been inoculated 20 days earlier in the United States with the vaccinia virus (smallpox vaccine) to the ipsilateral shoulder just before deployment. He had no history of eczema, psoriasis, or drug allergies.

Regional Folliculitis After Smallpox Vaccination

A 5-year-old boy with a history of atopic dermatitis since 6 weeks of age, presents with a rash around his mouth that has been present for approximately 1 year. The patient’s mother reports that desonide topical cream was applied to the affected area for about 5 days, which initially resulted in improvement, however the rash returned after this medication was discontinued. The rash also recently improved after the patient took amoxicillin for an infection. She also notes that the patient has been licking his lips more frequently.

On examination there is an erythematous papulopustular eruption restricted to the perioral region, with sparing of the vermillion border. Mild hyperpigmentation is noted on the patient’s neck. There is no active involvement of other areas of the body.

The eruption has been present for 1 year and is restricted to the perioral region. What is included in your differential? 

Clinical Topics

Rash Around the Mouth of a 5-year-old Child

A 3-year-old boy is seen for unilateral swelling on the left side of the face, in front of and behind the left ear. Findings on examination of ears, oral cavity, and teeth are normal. He is afebrile (temp, 37°C [98.6°F]), cooperative, and in no distress. He is otherwise healthy. Past medical history includes 1 MMR vaccination.

The child is bright and alert and has no fever. The swelling is on the left side of the face only. Find other clues to a diagnosis in the accompanying video.  

3-Year-Old Boy With Unilateral Facial Swelling 

A 76-year-old woman seeks your attention for an asymptomatic “red spot” on her neck. She has a history of multiple non-melanoma skin cancers.

Squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen  disease)

Lichenoid keratosis (an inflammatory variant of seborrheic keratosis)

A 76-year-old woman seeks your attention for an asymptomatic “red spot” on her neck. What does this look like to you?

What's This "Red Spot"?

A 43-year-old woman presents to the dermatology clinic with complaints of a rash of one weeks’ duration. The first lesion started on the left breast (at right), then scabbed over. About 4 days later, fever, chills, neck pain, and headache abruptly started. The fevers spiked to 102°F. A tender rash then disseminated to involve the face, trunk, and extremities. She denies muscle or joint pain, vomiting, sore throat, diarrhea, or dysuria. The patient reports no other sick contacts.

She lives in an apartment in Brooklyn, New York, and denies recent travel. She works as a cook. She is monogamous with her male partner and lives with 2 children. The patient’s 2-year-old daughter has a similar lesion on her right thigh, but denies other symptoms. The patient had chickenpox in childhood and denies a history of herpes. On questioning, the patient reports that she had called an exterminator 2 weeks ago to deal with a “mouse problem.”

Physical exam is significant for an erythematous plaque with an eschar on one breast. Grey pustulovesicles on an erythematous base can be found on the dorsal hands (image at right), face, arms, legs, and flank. The oral mucosa is clear.

Rash began with one lesion followed by tender, disseminated eruption; fevers spiked to 102°F. Test your visual diagnostic skills. 

Image IQ: Rash with Chills, Neck Pain, Acute Fever  

A 64-year-old woman with a history of basal cell carcinoma presents to the dermatologist for skin cancer surveillance. She is incidentally noted to have bruising on her upper eyelids (above). On questioning, she reports experiencing recurrent intermittent eyelid bruising for several years. She denies a history of trauma to her face, pain, or other associated symptoms.

Her medical history is significant for hyperlipidemia, hepatitis C (diagnosed >30 years earlier), osteoporosis, celiac disease, and idiopathic proteinuria for several years. Her surgical history includes appendectomy and carpal tunnel repair.

Pertinent family history includes her mother dying of multiple myeloma and her father of complications of diabetes.

Review of systems is significant for vague symptoms of gastrointestinal discomfort. On more directed questioning, she reports the eyelid purpura is temporally related to the Valsalva maneuver/ strained bowel movements. Her medications include atorvastatin, risedronate sodium, a daily multivitamin, calcium, vitamin D, and aspirin.

Her examination reveals no bruising elsewhere and no findings of interest on skin or mucous membranes.

B. Allergic contact dermatitis, purpuric type

Eyelid bruising was observed on a 64-year-old woman during routine skin cancer follow-up. She denied trauma or pain. What does this look like to you? 

Image IQ: Recurrent Eyelid Purpura 

The mother of a 10-year-old boy brings him in for evaluation of his moles (which are all benign). During the visit, the mother asks about the lesions on the first 2 knuckles of his right hand; she initially noticed them several months earlier. The boy is otherwise healthy.

White Knuckles

Timothy R. Oeltmann, MD

Articles

Latest Updated Articles