Pityriasis rosea

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Pityriasis rosea on the chest

• Skin lesion or rash
  • Starts with a single (herald) lesion
  • Followed several days later by more lesions
  • May follow cleavage lines or appear in a "Christmas tree" pattern
  • Oval plaque, papule, or macule
  • Sharp border
  • May spread
  • Centers have wrinkled (cigarette paper) appearance
  • The lesions appears like a scale that is attached at the edges and loose at the center
• Itching of the lesions (mild to severe)
• Skin redness or inflammation

Your health care provider can usually diagnose pityriasis rosea by the way the rash looks. A blood test may be needed to rule out a form of syphilis, which can cause a similar rash. Occasionally, a skin biopsy may be needed to confirm the diagnosis.

Review Date: 10/16/2006
Reviewed By: Michael S. Lehrer, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.