Non Itchy Chickenpox Like Rash All Over Body

[jeskea20]

Week 1 i felt slightly feverish and achy - maybe mild flu symptoms.  Week 2 - my rash started out mostly on my neck and upper torso, and into weeks 3 and 4 have spread to my entire torso, chest, back, arms, and some on my legs.  They are not itchy, and have not responded to either steroid or antibiotic treatment.  A sample scraping was sent to be cultured and came back negative.  They are individual spots approximately .2 to .5 cm in diameter, with clearly defined borders that blister, break and scab.  They do not cluster, and I have no other symptoms.  I have no history of allergies, and have not introduced anything new into my diet or regular routine.  Neither my PCP or a dermatological specialist have been able to give me an answer.  The only thing that makes sense to me is that I somehow contracted chicken pox again (I had it as a child - I am now 26).  Any insight would be great, I'm so scared that I am going to be covered in scars.

[jeskea20]

went to another derm, who determined possible Psoriasis, Pityriasis Rosea or PLEVA.

Had a biopsy and it was determined that it was not fungal, bacterial, was not psoriasis or PR.  They said that morphological it resembled PLEVA, but that they could only conclude chronic inflammation.

NO ONE seems to know what this is.  it has spread to my legs and arms, presents itself as open sores that scab over and heal on their own.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms that you have described, it can be shingles or impetigo. Shingles occurs in people who have had chickenpox and represents a reactivation of the dormant varicella-zoster virus. The first sign is usually a tingling feeling, itchiness, or stabbing pain on the skin. After a few days, a rash appears as a band or patch of raised dots on the side of the trunk or face. The rash develops into small, fluid-filled blisters which begin to dry out and crust over within several days. When the rash is at its peak, symptoms can range from mild itching to extreme and intense pain.
Impetigo is a superficial bacterial skin infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus and sometimes by Streptococcus pyogenes. Topical and oral antibiotics are the treatment of choice. My sincere advice would be to consult a dermatologist and get these possibilityies evaluated.

Hope it helps. Take care and do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries. Warm regards.