Pityriasis Rosea - or something else?

[Mrs N]

Has anyone had any experience of this skin complaint which is only meant to last for up to 6 weeks? It looks absolutely shocking and has horrible scabs formed on each spot which dont heal. A friend has it and it doesnt seem to be going. If anyone has had it or knows anyone else who has had it could you let me know how you/they got rid of it please - or had something like this? - It doesnt seem to quite fit the description of pityriasis rosea. Thanks - Mrs N

[unrulyjulie]

Mrs N, about this time last year, my son developed a few spots on his shoulder, he was convinced they were flea bites, i knew they werent!

Well within a few days the spots increased, by the end of the week his whole body apart from his hands, feet and face were covered! They then turned into one mass of dry scaly skin that looked absolutely horrendous. There wasnt any gaps between the spots by this point. It was incredibly dry , almost like the skin of a rhino!

I took him to the Docs a few times but he didnt know what it was, tried saying it might be some sort of exczma but again, i knew it wasnt that! Eventually i took him to the a and e on the docs advice where he got in the skin clinic. They didnt know in there either, the doc was scratching her head and absolutely baffled by it. He ended up having pictures taken for medical reference and a biopsy!

Eventually the top doc came and saw him and diagnosed Pityriasis Rubra Pilaris. well when i read up about it, it horrified me, he could have it for life. He was 15 at the time. It broke my heart!

They gave us lots of moisturizer and told us we would be in it for the long haul, but amazingly a week after this, it started to clear up! It was gone completely within two weeks! Incredible! We went back for the results and it wasn't what they said after all, it is extremely rare though!

he had it all in all for about 3 months start to finish! The conclusion of the medical staff in the end was a virus! Unexplained!

I wish your friend lots of luck, im sure it may just clear up as quick as it came ! Heres hoping.