Pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta (PLEVA) is the acute form of an inflammatory skin condition called pityriasis lichenoides. People with PLEVA may develop a few to more than one hundred scaling papules which may become filled with blood and/or pus, or erode into crusted red-brown spots. Papules may itch or burn, and some people may experience fever or joint pain. Although PLEVA may occur at any age (including infancy), it most commonly affects children and young adults. A skin biopsy is needed to confirm the diagnosis. The exact underlying cause is unknown, but some scientists suspect that it may occur due to an exaggerated immune response to an infection or an overproduction of certain white blood cells (a lymphoproliferative disorder). If treatment is necessary, recommended therapies may include oral antibiotics, sun exposure, topical steroids, immunomodulators (medications used to help regulate or normalize the immune system), phototherapy and/or systemic steroids. PLEVA may last for a few weeks to years, and may fluctuate between getting better and worse before going away on its own.[8202][8203][8204][14736]
For more information, visit GARD.
