Practice patterns within the supporting practice-based research network (PBRN) varied widely from short course doses of steroids to long course doses inclusive of a taper leading us to question the evidence base behind both regimens.
Expert recommendation for treatment in this area includes use of oral steroids for severe cases, variably described as either involving greater than 20% of body surface area, the presence of severe blistering or itching, or involvement of the face, hands, or genital area. Expert opinion and one case report on the commonly prescribed Medrol Dosepak ® (total of 84 mg of methylprednisolone tapered over 6 days) note this regimen to be insufficient and likely to cause rebound rash. It is commonly thought that too short a treatment course allows for rebound dermatitis after initial improvement. Several recommended regimens exist in the current literature. Oral corticosteroids are often used for treatment, but no randomized controlled trials have been found supporting a particular dosing regimen. He doesn't have to do anything other than rest.Contact dermatitis, particularly from Toxidendron foliage (poison ivy, oak, and sumac), is a common complaint in primary care offices. The rash disappears on its own in a few days. But the doctor said that it's a vasculitis rash and told my dad to take it easy and avoid heat. If you look up vasculitis rash photos, you will see that it looks similar to a poison ivy or poison oak rash. The first time it happened, we thought that he had a poison ivy rash. For some reason, it doesn't usually happen in winter.
My dad gets this during the summer, when he goes for his daily jogs. And vasculitis is more common in older people. There is something about activity and heat that triggers a vasculitis rash. I wonder if blood-thinning medications and medications that affect blood pressure cause the capillaries to rupture and seep blood which in turn causes the rash?Īugust 14, Because it tends to show up in older people who exercise, especially in the heat. The rash kind of looks like there is bleeding under my skin. My doctor doesn't know the cause but he thinks that it has to do with my blood-thinning medication.
What else can you do.Īugust 14, I get vasculitis rashes even when I'm not active. I even get it when I ride my bike in the hot weather. I never had it when I was younger and I was always very active. Once I have it on one leg, I usually have a mild case on the other. I just ignore it and after about two weeks it fades away. Very ugly and somewhat painful to the touch. I looked down at my angles and there it was. Now I again have it from sitting on a garden stool planting. I thought it was due to the socks I was wearing with my tennis shoes so I got socks that did not go above the shoes. It always appears after I have been out in the sun when it was very hot and humid. I have had this rash for years and did not know what it was.