Skin, mucosa and nail findings in hospitalized pediatric patients with Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

BACKGROUND

Cutaneous manifestations of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) disease have not yet been fully described in hospitalized pediatric patients.

OBJECTIVES

This prospective study aims to demonstrate the skin, mucosal, and nail findings of hospitalized children with COVID-19.

METHODS

The authors included hospitalized pediatric patients. Two dermatologists examined skin, hair, nails, and mucosa. Patients with drug eruptions were excluded with an anamnesis, clinical and laboratory test results.

RESULTS

Out of 46 enlisted patients, 19 (41,3%) patients displayed skin, mucosal or nail findings. Skin findings were seen on 14 (30.4%) patients. Ten (22%) patients presented skin findings matching described patterns. Half of the patients with patterned rashes had confluent erythematous/maculopapular/morbilliform rashes. Eleven out of 46 (23.9%) patients developed periorbital erythema and edema. Ten (22%) patients had at least one oral mucosal finding. One telogen effluvium, one blue nail, and one flag sign on nails were noticed. Nine (19.5%) patients out of 46 had developed MIS-C. MIS-C patients had mucocutaneous manifestations except one (88.8%).

STUDY LIMITATIONS: The authors have detected a higher rate of mucocutaneous manifestations compared to out-patients with mild COVID-19 because the study is based on hospitalized patients only.

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric COVID-19 patients are more susceptible to developing mucocutaneous manifestations compared to adults. The authors propose COVID-19 should be acknowledged as one of the viral exanthem rashes of childhood. The authors noticed that the most common findings were periorbital erythema and edema. The confluent erythematous/maculopapular/morbilliform rashes appear to be the most common patterns associated with severe COVID-19.