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OK, Doctors, Nurses, PA's, NP's, other allied Health Personal and any other interested voices...
Is this Chicken Pox or is it not?
A thirty year old male, born and raised in India, presents with a rash. The rash has a characteristic "dewdrop on a rose petal" appearence. So one would think chickenpox.
However, he denied any respiratory symptoms in recent weeks. No cough, no runny nose at all. Doesn't all chicken pox have a prodrome?
Also, the statistical odds of an Indian adult getting through childhood without chicken pox are very, very, very small. And you can never get chickenpox again (though you can get other viris' with a rash similar to chickenpox).
And he feels fine. No itchiness, feels just fine. Doesn't chicken pox give you other symptoms?
So anyways, the patient saw myself, and he saw an interist, and both of us told him it was not chicken pox. So then he went to a Paediatrician who told him it was.
Well, is it or isn't it?
And the patient was tickled pink to have his rash posted on my blog.
4 comments:
Mother's next questions:
Was there a fever? If not, probably not chicken pox.
If it IS chicken pox, by now what does it matter? Stay away from kids till the rash is dried up. Deal with any itching that develops.
I'm no doctor. But I know my dad had chicken pox three times. When he was a kid and when my older siblings had it before I was born and when my younger brother and I had it. So his second two times were as an adult. I think all the times he had it were mild cases.
Maybe Matt can help you.
Hey Lowell, I'll serve up my guess. So CP can repeat, especially if the first case is light or the pt is immune-compromised (though this usually shows up as reactivation or Shingles). Most of my patients are not aware of a prodrome. Lack of itchiness doesn't fit though it is erythematous isn't it. Can be otherwise asymtomatic. I'd say if he has more and they are in different stages, you have your diagnosis!
Cheers
Well - Cliff and Miguel last year had a similar rash. Just a few bumps here and there. Miguel has had a chicken pox vaccine and Clifford has never had the pox before. The Urgent Care Dr said that it was pox and we missed the County Fair because of it. I still don't think it was pox but the rash disappeared before I could get a second opinion. So - yep - it looks like chicken pox but I think there are undiscovered "pox" viruses running about that have not been classified or named yet. Maybe Lowell's Pox would be a good name???
- Shelly M
Love Ya!
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