Kumar P, Radha G, Muthukrishnan M, Chandrasekaran B, Subbiah P, Raman J. Cutaneous Manifestations Associated with COVID-19 Infection in a COVID-Designated Hospital in North Chennai - A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study.
Indian Dermatol Online J 2022;
14:67-71. [PMID:
36776182 PMCID:
PMC9910528 DOI:
10.4103/idoj.idoj_279_22]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects different organ systems, including the skin. There are reports on cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 available in the literature. In this study, we have tried to describe the dermatological signs of COVID-19 in different categories of patients.
Materials and Methods
A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted to describe various cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 in different categories of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-positive COVID-19 patients in a COVID-designated tertiary care hospital. Approval was obtained from the Institutional Ethical Committee, and 5460 RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19-positive patients were included under five categories. Investigators following a strict COVID protocol examined and documented the findings. Investigations and treatment were carried out as per the protocol, and the study was conducted for a period of 6 months.
Results
Out of the 5460 patients studied, 1.9% patients had cutaneous manifestations. Vasculitis (24%) and maculo papular rash (19%) were the common findings. The incidence of vasculitis was 44.4%, 61%, and 6.6% in categories A, B, and C, respectively. Maculopapular rash and urticaria were the common findings in categories D and E, respectively. COVID digit was seen in only one case. Other manifestations such as acne, adverse drug reaction, erythroderma, and bullous disorders were also noted.
Conclusion
Cutaneous manifestations because of vascular pathology were the most common association in severe COVID-19, which indicates that the presence of vasculitic skin signs correlated with disease severity and elevated d-dimer values. Urticaria and maculo-papular rash were transient and did not give any clue to the diagnosis or severity of the disease.
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