Pityriasis Treatment & Management

  • Author: Camila K Janniger, MD; Chief Editor: Burke A Cunha, MD   more...
 
Updated: May 16, 2011
 

Medical Care

  • In most cases, pityriasis rosea is a self-limited disorder, and treatment is not necessary in uncomplicated cases.
  • The rash usually disappears in a few weeks.
  • Patients should avoid irritants such as wool, certain irritant soaps, perfumes, and household products.
  • Pruritus is commonly associated with pityriasis rosea and can be treated conservatively with calamine lotion or oral antihistamine therapy.
  • If the rash is severe, topical steroids can be applied. Remember that steroids alleviate the pruritus, but they do not modify the eruption. Cases of severe exacerbations have been reported in association with oral steroid use.
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Consultations

In some instances, obtaining a consultation with an infectious disease specialist or dermatologist is warranted, especially in patients with atypical pityriasis rosea, comorbid conditions, solid organ transplants, or hematopoietic stem cell transplants.

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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Camila K Janniger, MD  Clinical Professor of Dermatology, Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Chief of Pediatric Dermatology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School

Camila K Janniger, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Rajendra Kapila, MD, MBBS  Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, UMDNJ, New Jersey Medical School

Rajendra Kapila, MD, MBBS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Infectious Diseases Society of New Jersey

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Robert L Rogers, MD  Staff Physician, Departments of Internal Medicine and Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland

Robert L Rogers, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, and American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Amal Mattu, MD, FACEP, FAAEM  Program Director, Emergency Medicine Residency, Co-Director, Emergency Medicine/Internal Medicine Combined Residency Program, Department of Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Amal Mattu, MD, FACEP, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Daniel R Lucey, MD, MPH  Chief, Fellowship Program Director, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington Hospital Center; Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Daniel R Lucey, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha and American College of Physicians

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Thomas M Kerkering, MD  Chief of Infectious Diseases, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

Thomas M Kerkering, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians, American Public Health Association, American Society for Microbiology, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Medical Society of Virginia, and Wilderness Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD  Clinical and Research Fellow, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital

Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Physicians, American Society for Microbiology, and Infectious Diseases Society of America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Burke A Cunha, MD  Professor of Medicine, State University of New York School of Medicine at Stony Brook; Chief, Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital

Burke A Cunha, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, and Infectious Diseases Society of America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

References

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  2. Robati RM, Toossi P. Plantar herald patch in pityriasis rosea. Clin Exp Dermatol. Mar 2009;34(2):269-70. [Medline].

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  9. Rasi A, Tajziehchi L, Savabi-Nasab S. Oral erythromycin is ineffective in the treatment of pityriasis rosea. J Drugs Dermatol. Jan 2008;7(1):35-8. [Medline].

  10. Krishnamurthy K, Walker A, Gropper CA, Hoffman C. To treat or not to treat? Management of guttate psoriasis and pityriasis rosea in patients with evidence of group A Streptococcal infection. J Drugs Dermatol. Mar 2010;9(3):241-50. [Medline].

  11. Chuang TY, Ilstrup DM, Perry HO, et al. Pityriasis rosea in Rochester, Minnesota, 1969 to 1978. J Am Acad Dermatol. Jul 1982;7(1):80-9. [Medline].

  12. Cohen EL. Pityriasis rosea. Br J Dermatol. Oct 1967;79(10):533-7. [Medline].

  13. Harman M, Aytekin S, Akdeniz S, et al. An epidemiological study of pityriasis rosea in the Eastern Anatolia. Eur J Epidemiol. Jul 1998;14(5):495-7. [Medline].

  14. Hartley AH. Pityriasis rosea. Pediatr Rev. Aug 1999;20(8):266-9, quiz 270. [Medline].

  15. Parsons JM. Management of toxic epidermal necrolysis. Cutis. Oct 1985;36(4):305-7, 310-1. [Medline].

  16. Tay YK, Goh CL. One-year review of pityriasis rosea at the National Skin Centre, Singapore. Ann Acad Med Singapore. Nov 1999;28(6):829-31. [Medline].

  17. Wyndham M. Pityriasis. Practitioner. Jun 1997;241(1575):358. [Medline].

 
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