Pityriasis Rosea Following Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccination in an Adolescent Girl

Abstract

Pityriasis rosea (PR) is an acute self-limiting exanthematous skin disorder characterized by the presence of a primary solitary lesion called a herald patch and the subsequent development of diffuse papulosquamous lesions within 1 to 2 weeks. This is a case of COVID-19 vaccine-induced PR in the age group (12-18 years) that was recently approved for vaccination. We report a case of a 15-year-old otherwise healthy female with a history of 2 weeks of single oval primary plaque appearing on the right wrist 2 days after receiving the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, followed by diffuse and mild itchy skin eruptions spreading over the abdomen, back, chest, and extremities. The patient had no other symptoms and no PR risk factors. The patient was placed on 800 mg acyclovir five times a day and improved markedly after 1 week. As vaccine-induced PR/PR-like eruptions (PR-LE) is an uncommon phenomenon, we recommend further studies to determine the association between PR/PR-LE and COVID-19 vaccination.