skin rash, please help

[chicago1988]

I was wondering if any could offer any advice on what this rash could be.
My son has had this rash now for almost three months. He is too embarrassed about the rash to go to the doctors, so i said id check online to see if anyone had any answers..

any help or advice would be greatly apprechiated
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[Dr.Deepak]

Welcome sarah to dermatalk, can you post more detail about it..
how old is your son?
Where exactly is the rash ( which area of the body parts)?
Is it itchy? or any other sensation?
Does it have scales above it?
Has the lesion increase/decrease it size?
Can you post some other pics ( plz include a clear close pic and other clear pics that includes the lesion and the surrounding normal area of that body parts)
Is he on any medications or present/past illness?
Any other you might want to detail?

Please reply so we can suggest you accordingly..

[chicago1988]

Thanks for the reply,
1. My son is 18.
2. The rash is mainly on his chest aswell as the sides of the abdomen. It also spread into his groin and under his armpits.
3. He say it is really itchy, and because he finds it hard to not scratch it is sore.
4. They havent really increased or decreased in size. They seem to have spread with more appearing.
5. I have included some more pictures.
6. He is not on any medication, nor does he have any history of any skin conditions or illnesses. He had mild eczema on his elbows when he was younger, but this looked different to what it looks now.

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[chicago1988]

Can anyone offer any advice? It is greatly apprechiated

[Dr.Deepak]

Sorry for late reply Sarah, your post got lost, sorry.... Anyway your son's condition looks like Lichen Planus to me. However, direct examination is very important to exclude other diseases. You may visit the dermatologist for the confirmation and specific management. Usually potent to high-potent steroids (not to use for sensitive areas) are prescribed for lichen planus and are first line of treatment. Besides regular use of corticosteroids, newer topical medication like tacrolimus can also be added to the regimen (like one in the morning and the other in the evening).

Lichen planus is self-limited but usually takes long to resolve ( 6-12 months) and recurrence may be common. There are other therapeutic modalities like light therapy, retinoids and other immune-suppressors. But first its very important to confirm the case by visiting a dermatologist, he/she may sometime perform biopsy if he/she suspects something. This is just my personal view, there are several other disease that can resemble such lesion, diagnosis can only be confirm by direct visual examination and few lab reports.

Does your son have oral lesion or any changes in the nails?