Abstract:
Background: Corona virus-19 disease (COVID-19) marked the beginning of a new pandemic COVID-19 after massive numbers of acute pneumonia with unknown origin. Some COVID-19 confirmed patients experienced some skin lesions that might be a clinical sign of COVID-19. Objective: This study aimed to determine the diversity of skin lesions caused by COVID-19 in Elbagour Hospital admitted COVID-19 positive cases. Methods: A prospective cohort study included patients from both sex who were COVID-19 confirmed and experienced skin lesions. 1020 patients having COVID-19 were examined. Out of them, 600 cases showed skin lesions. They were evaluated in El-Bagour General Hospital during the isolation period from March 2020 to March 2021. Dermatological examinations were done to assess skin lesions. The ABCD score was used to determine the severity of COVID-19 patients. Results: We reported eight types of skin lesions in the form of pityriasis rosea like lesions (387; 63%), vesicular like exanthema (320; 53.3%), erythema multiform (298; 49.7%), petechiae (232; 38.7%), urticarial lesions (231; 38.5%), maculo-papules (220; 36.7%), livedo reticularis (84; 14%) and pseudo-chilblain (74; 12.3%). Presence of skin lesions were significantly associated with moderate and severe cases (p < 0.05). Livedo reticularis was significantly linked to a high mortality rate (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Presence of skin lesions, as well as their number, onset and type were associated with COVID-19 prognosis. Presence of early (within the first 4 days) and more than 2 skin lesion types denoted disease severity. Moreover, livedo reticularis and maculo-papules warn against more disease severity, while presence of pseudo-chilblain points to moderate disease. © 2022, Ain Shams University Faculty of Medicine. All rights reserved.
