ABSTRACT

Objective:

Pityriasis rosea is a disease still taking interest with its unknown etiology, different clinical aspects and diagnosis and treatment alternatives. The clinical and demographical characteristics of the patients with pityriasis rosea were investigated in this study.

Methods:

A total of 70 patients, who were diagnosed as pityriasis rosea, between June 2011 and June 2012 were evaluated. The patients were examined prospectively in terms of their demographical characteristics, related environmental and personal factors, clinical characteristics and course of the disease.

Results:

The mean age of 70 patients (41 females, 29 males) was 25.9±15.26 (2-69) years. Seasons in which the disease is seen most frequently were winter (37.1%) and autumn (27.2%). The most common symptom was fatigue (64.3%) in patients who had prodromal symptoms (n=28). Primary plaque was determined in 44 cases (58.6%) and the most frequent localization was neck (22.7%). The most frequent symptom was pruritus and it was present in 41 patients. Eleven patients were diagnosed as atypical pityriasis rosea. One patient demonstrated unusual presentation of pityriasis rosea with localization to neck, and another one with secondary lesions on external ear tunnel which has not been described previously. Pityriasis rosea frequency in dermatology outpatients was 1/1000.

Conclusion:

The demographical results of this study were consistent with the results of the previously reported studies in Turkey.