scholarly journals Clinical and Histopathological Features and Potential Pathological Mechanisms of Skin Lesions in COVID-19: Review of the Literature

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gürkan Kaya ◽  
Aysin Kaya ◽  
Jean-Hilaire Saurat

In recent weeks, several reports have emerged of skin lesions with different clinical presentations in COVID-19 cases. All dermatologists should be aware of these cutaneous lesions, which may be early clinical symptoms of infection. We reviewed the literature on cutaneous manifestations in the PubMed database from December 2019 and June 2020. From the cases described as case reports or series in 57 recent articles, it appears that skin lesions (i) are highly varied, (ii) may not be related to the severity of the condition and (iii) resolve spontaneously in a few days. The frequency of these lesions in COVID-19 patients varies between 1.8% and 20.4%. The major clinical forms described were maculopapular eruptions, acral areas of erythema with vesicles or pustules (pseudochilblain), urticarial lesions, other vesicular eruptions and livedo or necrosis. The lesions were mainly localized in the trunk and extremities. The majority of patients were male, aged between 4.5 and 89 years. A minority of the patients were children presenting with acral, chilblain-like lesions, papulo-vesicular eruptions or Kawasaki disease-like pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome. The mean duration of the lesions was a few days, but some lasting as little as 20 min and others as long as four weeks have been reported. The mean latency time in the majority of cases was between 1 and 14 days; however, in some patients, lesions appeared 2 to 5 days before the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. The histopathological features of these lesions also vary, corresponding to the diversity of clinical manifestations. These features underline the nature of epidermal and dermal vascular lesions—and in severe cases, microvascular injury and thrombosis—associated with COVID-19, and provide important clues to their pathological mechanisms.

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Relvas ◽  
Joana Calvão ◽  
Raquel Oliveira ◽  
José Carlos Cardoso ◽  
Margarida Gonçalo

Introduction: COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, that has spread rapidly throughout the world. This has resulted in an urgent need to obtain information regarding its pathogenesis, diagnosis and clinical manifestations. More specifically, skin manifestations, seldom reported initially, have been increasingly described.Material and Methods: We performed a literature search in the PubMed database, regarding cutaneous manifestations associated with COVID-19. This article describes the clinical and histological findings of the main skin lesions observed in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection.Discussion: Cutaneous manifestations associated with COVID-19 have been described in multiple retrospective and prospective studies, case series and case reports. The reported incidence reached 20.4%. Although there was substantial heterogeneity in terms of clinical patterns, the main ones include: erythematous/maculopapular, urticarial, papulovesicular, and purpuric/petechial eruptions, chilblain-like lesions and livedoid/acro-ischemic lesions. In the vast majority, the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms are not fully understood, although histopathological findings and biomolecular studies can add relevant data.Conclusion: The recognition of cutaneous manifestations associated with COVID-19 is of utmost importance. They may help establishing an early diagnosis, namely in oligosymptomatic patients or when confirmatory tests are impossible to perform. Moreover, chilblain-like lesions and acro-ischemia, also seem to play an important role in terms of prognosis.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luís Uva ◽  
Diana Miguel ◽  
Catarina Pinheiro ◽  
João Pedro Freitas ◽  
Manuel Marques Gomes ◽  
...  

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multiorgan autoimmune disease of unknown etiology with many clinical manifestations. The skin is one of the target organs most variably affected by the disease. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) established 11 criteria as a classificatory instrument to operationalise the definition of SLE in clinical trials. They were not intended to be used to diagnose individuals and do not do well in that capacity. Cutaneous lesions account for four of these 11 revised criteria of SLE. Skin lesions in patients with lupus may be specific or nonspecific. This paper covers the SLE-specific cutaneous changes: malar rash, discoid rash, photosensitivity, and oral mucosal lesions as well as SLE nonspecific skin manifestations, their pathophysiology, and management. A deeper thorough understanding of the cutaneous manifestations of SLE is essential for diagnosis, prognosis, and efficient management. Thus, dermatologists should cooperate with other specialties to provide optimal care of SLE patient.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (09) ◽  
pp. 4896
Author(s):  
Sripriya C.S.* ◽  
Shanthi B. ◽  
Arockia Doss S. ◽  
Antonie Raj I. ◽  
Mohana Priya

Scrub typhus (Orientia tsutsugamushi), is a strict intracellular bacterium which is reported to be a recent threat to parts of southern India. There is re-emergence of scrub typhus during the past few years in Chennai. Scrub typhus is an acute febrile illness which generally causes non-specific symptoms and signs. The clinical manifestations of this disease range from sub-clinical disease to organ failure to fatal disease. This study documents our laboratory experience in diagnosis of scrub typhus in patients with fever and suspected clinical symptoms of scrub typhus infection for a period of two years from April 2014 to April 2016 using immunochromatography and IgM ELISA methods. The study was conducted on 648 patients out of whom 188 patients were found to be positive for scrub typhus. Results also showed that pediatric (0 -12 years) and young adults (20 – 39 years) were more exposed to scrub typhus infection and female patients were more infected compared to male. The study also showed that the rate of infection was higher between September to February which also suggested that the infection rate is proportional to the climatic condition. Statistical analysis showed that the mean age of the patients in this study was 37.6, standard deviation was 18.97, CV % was 50.45. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 2050313X2199719
Author(s):  
Juan Carlos Palomo-Pérez ◽  
Maria Elisa Vega-Memije ◽  
David Aguilar-Blancas ◽  
Erik González-Martínez ◽  
Lucia Rangel-Gamboa

China officially recognized atypical pneumonia outbreak in December 2019; on 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic that is produced by a new coronavirus, named SARS-CoV-2, of rapid transmissibility, which can be asymptomatic, with mild to severe respiratory symptoms, and with cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal, and cutaneous complications. Considering that the pandemic prolonged more than initially expected was prognostic, it is essential for the medical community to identify the signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Thus, this work’s objectives were to present cases of cutaneous lesions observed in COVID-19 Mexican patients. We register cutaneous lesions in COVID-19 patients referred from internal medicine and otorhinolaryngology services to dermatology. We presented four interesting cases with cutaneous lesions, including exanthema morbilliform, urticaria, chilblains, ecchymosis, and facial edema, and review the available literature. The most frequent cutaneous markers are rash, chilblains, and urticaria. Skin lesions may be the first manifestation of COVID-19, accompany initial respiratory symptoms, or appear during the disease course. Symptoms associated with vascular changes (livedo reticularis and vasculitis) are considered of poor prognosis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 204993612110337
Author(s):  
Diego-Abelardo Álvarez-Hernández ◽  
Rodolfo García-Rodríguez-Arana ◽  
Alejandro Ortiz-Hernández ◽  
Mariana Álvarez-Sánchez ◽  
Meng Wu ◽  
...  

Introduction: Chagas disease (CD) is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. When acquired, the disease develops in stages. For diagnosis, laboratory confirmation is required, and an extensive assessment of the patient’s health should be performed. Treatment consists of the administration of trypanocidal drugs, which may cause severe adverse effects. The objective of our systematic review was to analyze data contained in the CD published case reports to understand the challenges that patients and clinicians face worldwide. Materials and methods: We performed a systematic review following the PRISMA guidance. PubMed database was explored using the terms ‘American trypanosomiasis’ or ‘Chagas disease’. Results were limited to human case reports written in English or Spanish. A total of 258 reports (322 patients) were included in the analysis. Metadata was obtained from each article. Following this, it was analyzed to obtain descriptive measures. Results: From the sample, 56.2% were males and 43.8% were females. Most cases were from endemic countries (85.4%). The most common clinical manifestations were fever during the acute stage (70.0%), dyspnea during the chronic stage in its cardiac form (53.7%), and constipation during the chronic stage in its digestive form (73.7%). Most patients were diagnosed in the chronic stage (72.0%). Treatment was administered in 56.2% of cases. The mortality rate for the acute stage cases was 24.4%, while for the chronic stage this was 28.4%. Discussion: CD is a parasitic disease endemic to Latin America, with increasing importance due to human and vector migration. In this review, we report reasons for delays in diagnosis and treatment, and trends in medical practices. Community awareness must be increased to improve CD’s diagnoses; health professionals should be appropriately trained to detect and treat infected individuals. Furthermore, public health policies are needed to increase the availability of screening and diagnostic tools, trypanocidal drugs, and, eventually, vaccines.


2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 375
Author(s):  
Magdalena Żychowska ◽  
Adam Reich

Background: (Video)dermoscopy is a non-invasive diagnostic technique that has a well-established role in dermatooncology. In recent years, this method has also been increasingly used in the assessment of inflammatory dermatoses. So far, little is known about the (video)dermoscopic features of dermatomyositis (DM). Methods: Consecutive patients with DM were included in the study and videodermoscopic assessments of the nailfolds, scalp, and active skin lesions were performed. Results: Fifteen patients with DM (10 women and 5 men) were included. Capillaroscopy showed elongated capillaries (90.9%), avascular areas (81.8%), disorganized vessel architecture (81.8%), tortuous capillaries (72.7%), dilated capillaries (72.7%), and hemorrhages (72.7%). The trichoscopic findings included linear branched vessels (80.0%), linear vessels (60.0%), linear curved vessels (53.3%), perifollicular pigmentation (40.0%), perifollicular erythema (33.3%), scaling (20.0%), white (20.0%) or yellow (20%) interfollicular scales, and white (20.0%) or pinkish (13.3%) structureless areas. Polymorphic vessels of an unspecific distribution and white or pink structureless areas were frequently observed under dermoscopy in cutaneous manifestations of DM, including Gottron’s papules and Gottron’s sign. Conclusions: Dermoscopy of the nailfolds (capillaroscopy), scalp (tricoscopy), and active cutaneous lesions may be of value in the preliminary diagnosis of DM.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. e179-e182
Author(s):  
Jacob Goodwin ◽  
Samuel Ives ◽  
Hiba Hashmi

Objective: Sweet syndrome (SS) is characterized by an inflammatory rash that has been associated with a number of drugs and malignant, inflammatory, and infectious conditions. Rare accounts of Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) presenting with SS exist in the literature. HT is usually identified after the onset of skin lesions and without signs of overt thyroid dysfunction, and the stage of thyroid disease stage at presentation is variable. Methods: A search of the PubMed database was performed using search criteria involving combinations of “Sweet syndrome” and “Hashimoto thyroiditis,” “autoimmune thyroiditis,” or “thyroiditis,” and the search was filtered for clinical case reports. Five case reports were identified to describe the coexistence of Sweet syndrome and Hashimoto thyroiditis, and full-text versions of these reports were obtained and reviewed. Of note, cases involving subacute or other types of thyroiditis were excluded. Results: A 57-year-old man presented with painful eruptions on his hands; he was initially treated with antibiotics for presumed cellulitis without relief. Skin biopsy later confirmed SS and subsequent workup identified underlying HT with an elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone of 19.24 mU/L (normal, 0.30 to 4.30 mU/L) and positive thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibody at 236.4 IU/mL. Conclusion: Thyroid function tests should be universally evaluated in the workup of SS, and it may be appropriate to test for TPO antibodies even in the absence of objective thyroid dysfunction. Both SS and HT show immune diathesis, so further work should be undertaken to establish whether a common immunologic trigger exists.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-68
Author(s):  
Sumit Jeena ◽  
Jaswinder Kaur ◽  
Nishant Wadhwa

Background: Celiac disease is basically an immune-mediated enteropathic condition produced by permanent sensitivity to gluten in genetically susceptible subjects. There is paucity of data in north India regarding clinical symptoms of coeliac disease, Serum IgA Anti TTG and Biopsy in pediatric population. The present study was conducted with the aim to determine the correlation between clinical symptoms of coeliac disease, Serum IgA Anti TTG and Biopsy in pediatric population of northern India.Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted in prospective including 73 pediatric patients at Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Institute of Child Health, Sir Gangaram Hospital, New Delhi, India. Esophagogastroduodenoendoscopy and serum anti Ig A tissue transglutaminase were performed. The characteristic scalloping of the folds were looked for in endoscopy followed by four duodenal biopsies performed from second part of duodenum and histological grading was performed as per modified marsh system. Patients with Serum IgA anti tTG>20 U/ml were confirmed to be at risk. Complete histological work up was done including hemoglobin, RBC indices and peripheral blood smear examination. The association of clinical manifestations with disease grade was also established with correlation coefficient. All the data thus obtained was arranged in a tabulated form and analyzed using SPSS software. Probability value of less than 0.05 was regarded as significant.Results: There were 4 males and 16 females with marsh grade 1 and 2 and mean age of 7.3±1.9 years. There were 5 males and 8 females with marsh grade 3a and mean age of 6.8±2.3 years. The mean weight of 18.11±3.89, height of 103.17±8.73 and BMI of 16.26±3.78 was observed amongst subjects with Marsh grade 1 and 2. The mean weight of 15.12±3.17, height of 99.28±9.19 and BMI of 15.02±3.20was observed amongst subjects with Marsh grade 3a. Diarrhoea was maximum amongst subjects with grade 3c and 4(70%) and minimum amongst Grade 1 and 2 (40%). There was a significant difference between the frequency of anemia amongst different grades as the p value was less than 0.05.Conclusion: The most common presenting signs and symptoms were diarrhea and abdominal pain. The study also concluded that the incidence of anemia increases with higher marsh grades.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Rangel-Gamboa ◽  
Lirio López-García ◽  
Francisco Moreno-Sánchez ◽  
Irma Hoyo-Ulloa ◽  
María Elisa Vega-Mémije ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Chagas disease (CD) is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and is transmitted by triatomine insects. Clinical manifestations vary according to the phase of the disease. Cutaneous manifestations are usually observed in the acute phase (chagoma and Romaña’s sign) or after reactivation of the chronic phase by immunosuppression; however, a disseminated infection in the acute phase without immunosuppression has not been reported for CD. Here, we report an unusual case of disseminated cutaneous infection during the acute phase of CD in a Mexican woman. Methods Evaluation of the patient included a complete clinical history, a physical exam, and an exhaustive evaluation by laboratory tests, including ELISA, Western blot and PCR. Results Skin biopsies of a 50-year-old female revealed intracellular parasites affecting the lower extremities with lymphangitic spread in both legs. The PCR tests evaluated biopsy samples obtained from the lesions and blood samples, which showed a positive diagnosis for T. cruzi. Partial sequencing of the small subunit ribosomal DNA correlated with the genetic variant DTU II; however, serological tests were negative. Conclusions We present a case of CD with disseminated skin lesions that was detected by PCR and showed negative serological results. In Mexico, an endemic CD area, there are no records of this type of manifestation, which demonstrates the ability of the parasite to initiate and maintain infections in atypical tissues.


2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Mazzeranghi ◽  
C. Zanotti ◽  
A. Di Cerbo ◽  
J.P. Verstegen ◽  
R. Cocco ◽  
...  

Abstract Food allergies and food intolerances are clinically difficult to discriminate. Most often, along with cutaneous adverse food reactions or CAFR, they are classified as adverse food reactions, whose causes are numerous, including toxic compounds. Eighteen indoor-housed domestic cats with evident clinical symptoms related to CAFR (drooling, back and neck intense itching, neck eczema, chronic conjunctivitis and stomatitis) involving skin lesions were studied. Cytological evaluations of ear, skin and gingival swabs revealed an increased turnover of keratinocytes while the oxytetracycline ELISA determination showed an unexpected high amount of oxytetracycline in all cats at the first visit. All cats were then randomly assigned to receive a standard (SD group) or a nutraceutical diet (ND group) for 60 days. In the ND group a significant reduction of the mean serum concentration of oxytetracycline, pruritus intensity and skin lesion severity (**p<0.01, ***p<0.001, and ***p<0.001, respectively) was observed after 60 days, and associated with a significant improvement in the clinical picture. Although a direct correlation between oxytetracycline presence within cat sera and CAFR-related symptoms has never been described, this study highlights the benefit of a specific nutraceutical diet supplementation in improving clinical symptoms and skin lesions in cats with CARF.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document