Viral Rash

My 4 mo son has a rash all over his body that is red and raised in welted areas.  Sometimes those areas 'weep' and are very itchy.  We took him to a dermatologist and she told us she suspected it was viral.  She prescribed steroid creams and told us it could take weeks to clear up.  He has had symptoms for approximately 7 weeks and continues to develop new patches daily.  Should we have him re-evaluated?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
What your son seems to be having is chronic urticaria. It is defined as urticaria that persists for longer than 6 weeks. In most of the cases of chronic urticaria, the underlying pathology is idiopathic i.e. it is not linked to any cause. It is essential to rule out the presence of serious illnesses of which recurring hives can be a symptom. Examples are hepatitis, hyperthyroidism, lymphomas, collagen vascular diseases, and cancers of the rectum, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.

I feel that you should find out the cause of your chronic urticaria by ruling out the various conditions causing it. My sincere advice would be to consult an allergist.
I hope it helps. Take care and please do keep posted in case you have any additional queries. Kind regards.