History: While on a ski trip in New Mexico, this young woman developed a few pruritic papules around the neck. Over the next few days, these spread to torso and extremities. Some of the lesions were grouped in a "breakfast, lunch and dinner" distribution. She is in excellent health: a ski racer.
Exam: 1/3/08: There were 40 - 60 6 - 8 mm in diameter erythematous papules on torso, upper and lower extremities and to a lesser extent face. No lesions on doubly covered areas. After treatment with topical steroids this improved, but then flared around a week later.
1/10/08: Many new papules, neck, torso, extremities. No longer "breakfast, lunch and dinner" distribution.
Lab: CBC pending
Pathology: Consistent with arthropod bites or drug reaction. Will add photos later. Specimen shows parakeratosis, epidermal hyperplasia with focal eosinophilic exocytosis and a moderately dense superficial and mid perivascular interstitial lymphocytic infiltrate with scatterred eosinophils.
Diagnosis: Papular Urticaria (PU)
Questions: This woman is a competitive athlete. She does not want to take prednisone while racing. The lesions are very widespread and potent corticosteroid creams do not give much relief. Hydroxizine, too, will blunt her competitive edge. What would you recommend.
Reference: There was a good review of PU by Hernandez and Cohen in Pediatrics in 2006. "Insect bite-induced hypersensitivity and the SCRATCH principles: a new approach to papular urticaria." It is available in full-text: Hernandez/Cohen
Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
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