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Child Getting Temporary Red Patches On Face. What Is The Underlying Cause?

Posted on Wed, 6 Mar 2013

Question: Is there any reason to get red patches or long red lines appear temporary on your face..especially if you are exerting yourself? My 5 year old get this randomly when he's playing...and I believe a few times when he was in the car and the sun was on him....one time in the house a long red line went down his back...he gets red on his cheeks sometimes in red circles..sometimes 1 cheek. The is also a blue visible vein that appeared about a year and a half ago....it starts around his outer eye and round down to his chin...tonight when he was playing a long reddish line started around the top of vein and went all the way up to his forehead..then disappeared after 10 minutes. Also sometimes his skin look mottled on his arms legs and s sometimes chest..I have been to doctors and describe this but keep getting brushed off. Is this normal? And what is it? Could the red line tonight be coming from the cheek vein?
Also sometimes when he's playing or running a red circle might appear on his forehead or something and I dont think he is making physical contact with the red part
Also it never appears to be always flat and under skin...never raised
Correction...it appears flat and under skin....never raised

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rahul Kumar (53 minutes later)

Hello,

Thanks for the detailed description.

Red patches on the face, in your son's case can be due to following reasons.
1. Atopic dermatitis (you mentioned he is on medication for suspected asthma ) - It is usually associated with any allergic condition and is usually itchy.
2.Purpura - This occurs due to platelet deficiency, and can occur like streaks of red patch, but usually these patches last few days. To rule out this please get his platelet levels checked.
3.Contact dermatits - Again this can happen due to allergic tendency.
4. Photo allergy (solar urticaria) - As you mentioned he gets rash on exposure to sunlight.

I would request you to attach a photograph, if possible. This will help me in giving a better advice.

Apart from purpura all other conditions are less sinister. So please get his platelet levels checked soon to exclude purpura. Apply sunscreen three times a day on all exposed parts. This will protect him from photo allergy.

Don't worry it is not a serious problem. The rash cannot be from vein, as it would not disappear so easily, if it is from vein.

Hope my advice help you a bit. Feel free to ask any further question.

Wishing your son a good and healthy life.

Thank you.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rahul Kumar (2 days later)

Thank you. Since I sent this email he also woke up with 2 marks on his face that look almost like fly bites but its winter and no one else has them here. And these marks are still there all morning. He has had these marks twice before all over his right arm about a year and half ago. Where can I send a Pic of both the flushing and the ones that look like bites. Not saying that I think they are bed bugs or anything..they just look like it. The other rash is more of a flash and doesn't look like bites at all.
Flush* not flash.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rahul Kumar (1 hour later)

Hello,
Thanks for the follow up query.

Ya surely you can send me both the pictures. Please try to take the picture of recent lesion without flash in the sunlight.
This will give a clear picture.
I would also like to know, whether he is having any symptoms of asthma at present. Does he cough a lot or feel breathless in morning?

Waiting for your response.

Thank you

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rahul Kumar (2 hours later)

where will i send the pictures? to an email? thanks

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rahul Kumar (3 hours later)

Hello,
There is an option to upload photos on the right side corner of the page itself, while you are asking a query.
If you are not able to find out, mail it to me YYYY@YYYY with sub: ATTN DR XXXXXXX KUMAR>
I would be happy to help you.

Thank you.

Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar