BOF: 46
A 33-year-old male presents with an itchy rash over his
scalp and on his face. The rash came on quite suddenly is very severe, and
extensive and is not responding to simple local treatment that he was given by a
pharmacist.
On examination, on the scalp there are widespread thick
adherent crusts. The skin shows greasy scaling over red inflamed skin.
This involves the forehead, the eyebrows, the lash line, the nasolabial
folds, the beard, and the post auricular skin.
In this patient which of the following tests is most likely
to determine the underlying cause of the disease?
a)
Skin scraping
b)
Skin biopsy
c)
Patch testing
d)
HIV test
e)
TPHA
Answer:
d)
The patient has seborrhoeic dermatitis which is a scaly
rash involving the areas of skin where sebaceous glands are plentiful. A severe
explosive onset as seen in this patient is usually a marker of HIV infection
regardless of the age of the patient and should be considered the underlying
cause in this patient.
Last Updated: 30/04/06
