New-onset and exacerbated skin diseases after COVID-19 infection: A systematic review

Herpes Zoster after COVID-19 Infection or Vaccination: A Prospective Cohort Study in a Tertiary Dermatology Clinic

Background

Herpes zoster (HZ) has been observed to occur after COVID-19 infection and vaccination; however, knowledge regarding the demographic data, clinical presentations, and treatment outcomes of HZ is limited.

Objective

To compare the demographic data, clinical manifestations, treatments, and outcomes of patients with and without HZ within 14 days of COVID-19 infection or vaccination.

Methods

This prospective cohort study involving patients diagnosed with cutaneous HZ was conducted at a dermatology clinic from October 2021 to January 2023.

Results

Among a total of 232 patients with HZ, the median age was 62.0 years and 59.1% were female. HZ developed in 23 (9.9%) and four (1.7%) patients after COVID-19 vaccination and infection, respectively. The mean duration from vaccination and the median duration from infection to HZ onset were 5.7 and 8.5 days, respectively. The proportion of female patients was significantly higher in the group of patients with COVID-19 vaccination or infection than in those without such a history (P = 0.035). Patients who developed HZ following the recent COVID-19 infection had a median age of 42.5 years, which was lower than that of the other groups. Dissemination occurred in 8.7% of the patients after COVID-19 vaccination. HZ recurrence was reported in five cases, of which 80% had been vaccinated or infected with COVID-19 during the previous 21 days. All patients had similar durations of antiviral treatment, crust-off time, and duration of neuralgia.

Conclusions

HZ after COVID-19 vaccination is more frequently observed in females, while HZ after COVID-19 infection tends to occur in younger patients. Disseminated HZ is more common in patients recently vaccinated against COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccination or infection may trigger recurrent HZ infection.

Defining the short-term and long-term skin manifestations of COVID-19: insights after more than three years of the pandemic

AIM

This review aimed to assess the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on skin health to establish a classification of the skin lesions that occur most frequently during the disease and whether a particular category of skin damage is more likely to occur both in the short term and in the long term.

METHODS

We conducted a literature search of the PubMed database. Ultimately, 109 articles were included in this review. The exact phrases∕syntax and connectors used for the database search∕query were as follows: "Coronavirus and skin", "COVID-19 and skin", "SARS-CoV-2 and skin", "Coronavirus cutaneous manifestations", "COVID-19 cutaneous manifestations", "SARS-CoV-2 cutaneous manifestations", "Coronavirus dermatology", "SARS-CoV-2 and dermatology", "COVID-19 and dermatology", "COVID-19 and skin eruption", "Coronavirus and skin rash", "COVID-19 and hair", "Coronavirus and hair", "Coronavirus and nails", "SARS-CoV-2 and hair", and "SARS-CoV-2 and nails". Only articles with abstracts referring strictly to cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 were chosen. Articles without abstracts were not considered.

RESULTS

We established six of the most frequently reported clinical patterns associated with COVID-19 and their probability of occurring during COVID-19 disease evolution based on the current literature reports. We did not identify the particular types of skin lesions that are most prone to long-term persistence; most such cases are rare, and no conclusion can be drawn based on them.

CONCLUSIONS

Apart from classified COVID-19-related skin disorders, this pandemic has been a challenge for dermatologists and a wide range of cutaneous side effects related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) treatments have been reported. We are aware of other polymorphic clinical presentations, with novel data being reported periodically, but the pathophysiological mechanisms and evolution are largely unknown.

Cutaneous Adverse Events After COVID-19 Vaccination

Purpose

The morphology and timing of cutaneous reactions after Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines have been well described; however, data on the rates and risk factors are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the incidence of cutaneous adverse reactions (CARs) after COVID-19 vaccination in Thailand, describe the rash characteristics according to the doses or types of vaccine, and assess the risk factors for developing CARs.

Patients and Methods

This was a prospective observational study of adults who received COVID-19 vaccination and provided informed consent. Cutaneous diagnoses were made by expert dermatologists with supporting skin biopsies, as needed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression to examine the independent risk of developing a CAR.

Results

Between July 2021 and January 2022, 7505 participants were vaccinated. Vaccine-related CARs occurred in 92 patients with an overall risk of 1.2%. CARs occurred after the first (n=41), second (n=23), third (n=27), and fourth (n=1) doses. Among the 92, 75 (81%) developed CARs within 7 days and 61 (66%) resolved within 7 days. Urticaria, injection site reaction, and a delayed (≥ 3 days post vaccine) local reaction were the three most common CARs occurring in 59 cases (64%). In total, 51 (55%) patients received only symptomatic and supportive treatment. Underlying urticaria and psoriasis were the independent factors for developing a CAR: adjusted odd rations of 15.63 (6.02-40.57, p < 0.001) and 5.36 (1.57-18.36, p = 0.007), respectively. A total of 6/34 (17%) and 4/31 (12%) patients developed urticarial and psoriasis flare post vaccine. Our study found superficial perivascular and intraepidermal eosinophil infiltration, which may be unusual pathological findings in vaccine-induced pemphigus foliaceous.

Conclusion

CARs after COVID-19 vaccination had a low incidence and were mostly mild in severity and transient in nature. Underlying urticaria and psoriasis were risk factors for CAR development.

Long COVID: Clinical characteristics, proposed pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets

The emergence of persistent ill-health in the aftermath of SARS-CoV-2 infection has presented significant challenges to patients, healthcare workers and researchers. Termed long COVID, or post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), the symptoms of this condition are highly variable and span multiple body systems. The underlying pathophysiology remains poorly understood, with no therapeutic agents proven to be effective. This narrative review describes predominant clinical features and phenotypes of long COVID alongside the data supporting potential pathogenesis of these phenotypes including ongoing immune dysregulation, viral persistence, endotheliopathy, gastrointestinal microbiome disturbance, autoimmunity, and dysautonomia. Finally, we describe current potential therapies under investigation, as well as future potential therapeutic options based on the proposed pathogenesis research.