Eruptive hypomelanosis L42

Rare, self-limited, paraviral exanthema associated with depigmented patches, which occurs mainly in children aged 7-13 years.

Paraviral exanthema is seen as a response of the immune system to a viral infection. They are macromorphologically diverse. Virus detection in the skin is not possible. The skin symptoms are self-limiting and can therefore be classified as prognostically benign. They are not the expression of a specific pathogen, but are caused by very different viruses. The pathomechanism of this "réaction cutanée" is still unclear.

7-14 years;

face, extensor sides of the extremities, back of the hand

After a prodromal stage with catarrhal phenomena, a non-itching exanthema with round hypopigmented spots of a few millimetres in size develops.

Benign; spontaneous healing after 2-3 weeks

1. Chuh A et al (2016) Pityriasis Rosea, Gianotti- Crosti Syndrome, Asymmetric Periflexural Exanthema, Papular-Purpuric Gloves and Socks Syndrome, Eruptive Pseudoangiomatosis, and Eruptive Hypomelanosis: Do Their Epidemiological Data Substantiate Infectious Etiologies? Infect Dis Rep 8:6418.
2. Chuh A et al (2017) Annular Eruptive Pseudoangiomatosis and Adenovirus Infection: A Novel Clinical Variant of Paraviral Exanthems and a Novel Virus Association. Acta Derm Venereol 97:354-357.
3. Chuh A et al (2016) A mini-epidemic of eruptive hypomelanosis in three children of the same family; the first piece of epidemiological evidence for an infectious cause of a novel paraviral exanthem. Clin Exp Dermatol 41:680-681.
4. Fölster-Holst R et al (2016) Paraviral exanthems. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 14:601-611.