Help ID this skin rash please.

[khalloc]

So about 7-10 days ago my 9 year old son came down with this rash on the side of his chest. It was just 1 spot. Could be poison ivy or something, except it was in a wierd spot. Who gets poison ivy just on the side of their chest (like to the right of his right nipple)? and no place else? it didnt seem to bother him much so we left it. But then after 5 days or so he started getting bumps all over his stomach and chest. But those dont really look like patches of poison ivy or oak or whatever. Everything was very itchy though.

It might be good to mention that on Thursday last week he went home early from camp with a stomach ache (bad) and he had a slight fever (under 100). He was fine on Friday. Saturday he woke up and complained that his jaw hurt, just in front of his ear, when he swallowed. So completely random. I thought mumps? but that was it. and his face is not swollen. He's also fully vaccinated. Not sure if this is related at all.

Now the rash is sort of spreading. Small random bumps on his chest and back. itchy at times but not always. I dont want to bring him to the doctor just for something like poison ivy. Some days it looks good and seems to be getting better, but then he will have a day when its really itchy and it looks worse. We've been putting calamine on it at least once a day.

Here are some pictures. These first 2 are from a couple of days ago.
https://im1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/000045416548/media/53066683055/small/1498658335/enhance
https://im1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/000045416548/media/53066683061/medium/1498658302/enhance

These ones are from today. This spot under his armpit is where it started. it also spread to his arm (where it rubs against this spot)
https://im1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/000045416548/media/53066683059/medium/1498658342/enhance

But then he has these weird single bumps on his chest
https://im1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/000045416548/media/53066683067/medium/1498658264/enhance

And his back...
https://im1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/000045416548/media/53066683077/medium/1498658265/enhance

[JamiMac]

That is a fairly common spot to get shingles and they look similar to that. I think I might get that checked out at the doctor.


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[Mikey0709]

My first thought was some sort of allergic rash. Detergent/soap? Something he ate? New camp shirt?

Next thought - just a viral rash from a common virus he picked up at camp, especially if he had a stomach ache and mild fever even for a day. Most of my kids got some sort of rash with any virus - AND MOST OF THE TIME IT STARTS ON THEIR STOMACH OR TRUNK AREA (seems to be standard for viral rash). Even when they are feeling better, takes quite a few days for the rash to pass, BUT i'm not remembering if it wasnt itchy alot of the times. Rash can be worse in the summer though with the heat.

Yes - looks like shingles, but I think that would REALLY be painful?? Chicken pox can look like that - but i believe would have more of a head on the pimple. So to me I don't think it's either of those.

Doesn't look like poison to me, which in my experience has been patchier.

I'm in the same boat as you with doc visits, but you know best so use your judgement. IMO - it doesn't look serious and I would probably be in the wait a little longer and see camp. But my guess it's that he has a minor virus picked up at camp, and it's just working it's way through presenting the rash.

Have you tried benedryl or OTC allergy med (like zyrtec).... that should help with the itching. Make sure you get non-drowsy.

[khalloc]

Thanks. Now that you mention it, I did give him a new soap in the past 10 days. It was a specialty soap, like almond something from a local manufacturer called TwinCraft. I wonder if that is it? I cant look up the soap online because they dont sell it (I got mine because they donated some bars to my office which does fundraising, and I wouldnt know where to look to purchase it or what name it sells under.

But you're right it could totally be a viral rash too. I didnt even think of giving an OTC allergy med or benedryl. Duh!

I wish I could remember the exact date he first got the rash and the date he started using the soap. It could be related, or it could not be.

[BunnyBee]

Might be a strep rash.

I don't think it's shingles or chicken pox. It crosses the midline, which would be unusual in shingles, and they haven't crusted over.

[KpbS]

They do appear to be crusting over which is good. Ask DS if he remembers the date of the new soap. Sometimes kids have a memory for that kind of thing. Also discontinue the use for now. Topical hydrocortisone for itchiness and OTC antihistamine to see if it will go away.

I'd probably wait on the ped for a couple more days unless he has other symptoms.

[Indianamom2]

I agree. My first thought was shingles as well. They aren't always extremely painful. I think I'd want to get that ruled out, as early treatment can make a difference.

[reneed]

It looks like the rash I get when I swim in a chlorinated pool that isn't balanced perfectly or if I use a strong laundry detergent.

[khalloc]

Hmm. The kids have been swimming in the neighborhood pool. My laundry detergent hasnt changed. I will make sure he stops using that soap.

[AnnieW625]

Shingles can be completely different in symptoms. I had it twice and here were my symptoms, and neither time did my rash get that red or crust over:
1st time, 2014: had some weird pain in my back about two weeks before I was diagnosed, but thought it was nothing much as I have random times my back hurts (due to too much snow skiing and falling down in my teens and early 20s.) Then a week later I was horsing around in a pool with my kids and I thought I pulled a lat muscle so I tried treating it with otc pain meds., and so then by the following Friday I started noticing a rash at my bra line, but again wasn't feeling out of the norm and my lat muscle was still a little sore, but I woke up on a Sunday morning (2 days after noticing the small rash) and was increasingly irritable and I finally connected all of the dots and low and behold per the urgent care doctor I had shingles.

2nd time, 2016: had some what I thought was acne on my chest for about two to three weeks, but it would get better and go away, but come back (same side as where I had my rash) and then one day where I was feeling super irritable and sore at work I happened to be wearing a v neck shirt and looked at that rash again and thought I had shingles again. I had almost no back or muscle pain this time at all it was just a weird rash and irritability.



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[khalloc]

Wouldnt he need to have had chicken pox in order to get shingles? Or is the chicken pox vaccine enough to contract shingles when you get older?

I havent called the doc yet. He has been swimming in at least 2 chlorinated pools + the lake. He stopped using the new soap this morning. This morning his rash looked really dry (its never really looked wet though). Its itchy, but not awful. His ears are also itchy? Not sure if thats related or not.

[BunnyBee]

Wouldnt he need to have had chicken pox in order to get shingles? Or is the chicken pox vaccine enough to contract shingles when you get older?

I havent called the doc yet. He has been swimming in at least 2 chlorinated pools + the lake. He stopped using the new soap this morning. This morning his rash looked really dry (its never really looked wet though). Its itchy, but not awful. His ears are also itchy? Not sure if thats related or not.

The vaccine is enough.

[mom2binsd]

Does he wear a rash guard? DD got a rash like that from her swimsuit, contact dermatitis was the diagnosis.

[khalloc]

Does he wear a rash guard? DD got a rash like that from her swimsuit, contact dermatitis was the diagnosis.

Not unless we are in the Caribbean usually and he needs it for sun protection. He hasnt worn it lately.

[JBaxter]

It could be a mild form of chickenpox. The vaccine didn't work with two of mine. I'd take home in to check until they crust he's contagious. Yes you can get shingles if you have the chickenpox vaccine.

[Kindra178]

I think it's the soap. Doesn't he have spring (ie tree) allergies? Almond and certain trees are cross reactive.

[khalloc]

I think it's the soap. Doesn't he have spring (ie tree) allergies? Almond and certain trees are cross reactive.

He does have asthma and is allergic to cats. I dont know about trees. Once as a toddler he had an allergy test and they mentioned he reacted to grass or something, I forget. Though he does have times where his eyes get very itchy and red. I just havent connected the dots on that one.

[essnce629]

My first thought was shingles too, but it looks like it crosses the midline which isn't common with shingles. I'd still take him in though. Doesn't look like chickenpox to me or hives that I get all the time with allergies.

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[jent]

pityriasis rosea: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/pityriasis-rosea-topic-overview#1

[elizabethkott]

DS2 had something that looked very similar about a year and a half ago. The first Dr. in our practice diagnosed it as shingles. All the creams he gave us made it worse. Went back in and saw one of the other Drs. and she did a culture. It was a staph infection. She also asked if the first dr. had done a culture... he hadn't. :( Once we had the right diagnosis and meds, it cleared up very quickly.

[gatorsmom]

pityriasis rosea: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/pityriasis-rosea-topic-overview#1

Ive had pityriasis roses and it didn't look like that. When additional patches formed they made a "fit tree" design on my sides. Also, they were patches, not dots. Based on OP's description of where bumps formed on his arm, my guess is some sort of bacterial infection. I'd have a doc see it.

[khalloc]

Rash went away. He stopped using that soap and has been fine since. I dont know if it was the soap and I dont plan on having him try it again to find out!