How to Recognize the Pityriasis Rosea Rash (2024)

FAQs

How to Recognize the Pityriasis Rosea Rash? ›

Before the herald patch appears, some people have headache, fatigue, fever or sore throat. A few days to a few weeks after the herald patch appears, you may notice smaller bumps or scaly spots across your face, back, chest or abdomen that look like a pine-tree pattern. The rash can cause itching.

In most cases, your health care provider can identify pityriasis rosea by looking at the rash. You might need a scraping or possibly a skin biopsy, which involves taking a small piece of the rash for testing. This test can help tell a pityriasis rosea rash from other, similar rashes.

Pityriasis rosea can be mistaken for skin conditions such as tinea (a fungal skin infection also known as ringworm) or psoriasis, so careful diagnosis is needed. Other less common illnesses, such as syphilis, may also cause a similar rash. A skin biopsy of one of the patches may be taken for laboratory analysis.

A widespread rash of small, scaly spots appears about 5 to 15 days after you get the herald patch. Usually you get the rash on your chest and back, but it can appear on the arms or legs. In children, it may appear on the face or scalp. It usually appears in the same place on both sides of the body and may be itchy.

Pityriasis rosea is usually diagnosed based on a medical history and physical exam. The rash of pityriasis rosea is unique, and the diagnosis is usually made on the basis of a physical exam. Occasionally, your healthcare provider may perform a skin scraping or skin biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.

Overview. Pityriasis rosea is a rash that often begins as an oval spot on the face, chest, abdomen or back. This is called a herald patch and may be up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) across. Then you may get smaller spots that sweep out from the middle of the body in a shape that looks like drooping pine-tree branches.

The first sign of pityriasis rosea is often one large patch on the skin, which is followed smaller patches or bumps. If you develop pityriasis rosea, you may experience the following in this order: Feel ill for 1 or 2 days. Develop a large patch on your skin.

There is no known cause, cure, or prevention method for pityriasis rosea, but it's usually nothing to worry about and will go away on its own. While there aren't any ways to get rid of the rash faster, there are things that can help you feel more comfortable as it clears up over many weeks.

While the appearance of this rash can be concerning, it's harmless. Pityriasis rosea clears on its own. For this reason, dermatologists generally do not recommend treating it. See a healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

Preliminary stage: You feel ill for a day or two. Herald patch stage: A large round or oval patch that's red or pink develops on your skin. Rash stage: Many smaller patches or bumps appear. Resolution: Your skin clears up.

Is pityriasis rosea linked to autoimmune disease? ›

Although a virus is believed to cause pityriasis rosea, the disorder is not thought to be contagious. Some researchers have theorized that autoimmune factors may play a role in the development of pityriasis rosea. Autoimmunity is when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue for unknown reasons.

Pityriasis rosea is believed to be caused by a virus. It occurs most often in the fall and spring.

The incidence of new lesions peaks over the course of 1 to 2 weeks, and then the eruption resolves over 2 to 4 more weeks. In some cases, the rash may take as long as 3 to 5 months to resolve. The recurrence rate is 2%.

In some cases, people with pityriasis rosea report that they had significant or long-term stress before developing a rash. However, there isn't enough research to determine that stress may cause pityriasis rosea. Pityriasis rosea doesn't usually affect people over the age of 60.

Pityriasis rosea is a self-limiting skin condition that presents as discrete scaly papules and plaques along the Langer lines (cleavage lines) over the trunk and limbs. This generalized rash is usually preceded by a herald patch on the trunk. The incidence is 170 cases per 100,000 persons per year.

Pityriasis rosea is a skin rash which looks like ringworm. Usually one patch appears on your upper body, then 1–2 weeks later many smaller patches appear. It often follows a viral illness that can include a cough, sore throat, runny nose and body aches and may be caused by your body's reaction to the virus.

Psoriasis is a chronic, lifelong autoimmune condition with no cure, while pityriasis rosea is temporary and generally clears up within a few weeks. The symptoms of psoriasis can also resemble those of other skin conditions, including fungal infections, acne, and eczema.

Your health care provider can often diagnose pityriasis rosea by the way the rash looks. In rare cases, the following tests are needed: A blood test to be sure it is not a form of syphilis, which can cause a similar rash. A skin biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.