Atypical pityriasis rosea: a case report and a review of literature

Aim: Pityriasis rosea (PR) is a common acute inflammatory skin disease characterized by pruritic erythematous papulosquamous eruption that is self-limited which can rarely pose a diagnostic challenge. In this report, we present a rare presentation of PR.Method: the case was completely evaluated including laboratory works and a final diagnosis of erythema multiforme-like PR was reached. Besides, we reviewed all atypical presentations of PR that are reported in the medical literature.Results: our patient has a morphological variant of PR which is erythema multiforme-like. The presence of a herald patch and the rapid resolution of the symptoms supports our diagnosis. This variant is considered rare and to our knowledge, this is the seventh case of erythema multiforme-like PR reported in the medical literature.In conclusion: we report a case of erythema multiforme-like PR. It is important that physicians recognize the wide spectrum of PR variants so that appropriate management can be arranged.