Eruptive hypomelanosis L42

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

Paraviral exanthema is defined as the immune system's response to viral milk. They are triggered by a viremia. Viruses can therefore also be detected in skin lesions. Paraviral exanthema on the other hand are macromorphologically diverse. The detection of viruses in the skin is not possible. The skin lesions are self-limiting and thus can be classified as prognostically benign. They are not the expression of a specific pathogen but are induced by quite different viruses. The pathomechanism of this "réaction cutanée" is still unexplained.

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.