Petechial Rash in Mom and Son- Son has elevated lymphocytes, low neutrophils

I have had a petechial rash on my feet and legs for almost 2 months.  I was having spells of dizziness, as well as bleeding gums (but I am due for a cleaning at the dentist so I have kind of written that off to that.)  I have been VERY tired, but again have written that off to being the mom of a toddler!!!  I have not had fever.  My CBC came back "at the low end of normal" according to my dr,but they didn't give me specific values.  They checked levels again in 2 weeks, and said the CBC was fine, and they will refer me to a dermatologist. What makes me really nervous is that my 18 mo. old son now also has a petechial rash.  The first time they ran his CBC, his platelets came back low but the nurse said it could be due to clotting in the specimen.  The next draw came back fine.  Then the rash on my son spread everywhere-arms, legs, trunk, a few on the face.  These petechiae are all very fine and very small.  He had low grade fever of 101.2 rectally according to my thermometer.  Pediatrician recommended having him seen in the ER just to be safe.  His temp was only 100.2 according to their thermometer.  There, they ran extensive labs....the doctor said everything looked okay, except he seemed to be fighting something viral.  His lymphocytes were at 69, Neutrophils at 16.  Platelet count was 151 (Does it matter that that number is at the lower end of the normal scale?).  They said he was okay to go home, that he is fighting a virus, and that we should call if he gets a higher fever or seems really uncomfortable.  I just think it is too strange that we both have these petechiae, yet bloodwork seems fine.  I am concerned about his low neutrophils, and wonder if maybe mine aren't low as well.  I don't want to be a hypochondriac, but at the same time my mother's intuition is telling me something isn't quite right...not only with my son, but with me also.  Any ideas or opinions are welcome...and of course I will pursue this with the dermatologist I will be seeing as well.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

I can't think of any connection between your rash and your son's.  I also think that the blood tests each of you had argue against either of your having anything serious.  (For instance, your platelets and other values would have be seriously out of whack to be a problem, not just at one end of the normal range.)  I suggest you not worry too much about your own rash until you see the dermatologist.  Chances are this represents some superficial broken capillaries common in women and known as Schamberg's Disease--that's just a guess, of course, since I didn't see you, but it isn't serious at all.  As for your son, viruses in small kids can often produce petechiae.  I'd follow your pediatrician's lead on evaluating that.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff