Researchers identify skin symptoms of rare children's disease linked to COVID-19

Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Researchers have identified skin conditions in some children with COVID-19 that could make diagnosis of a rare inflammatory condition seen since early in the pandemic easier.

Multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, is a rare condition in which different parts of the body become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin and eyes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In a study published Wednesday by JAMA Dermatology, researchers identified some of the most common coronavirus-linked skin symptoms, including eye infections, extensive swelling around the eyes and the condition known as "strawberry tongue."

Rashes and bloodshot eyes had previously been identified by the CDC as potential symptoms of MIS-C, in addition to fever, severe abdominal pain, diarrhea and feeling extra tired, among others.

The specific skin conditions identified in the new study may be far more common than thought -- up to three-quarters of MIS-C patients have had some type of skin symptom -- and may aid in recognition of the condition, the authors of the JAMA Network Open study said.

"Luckily, severe, acute COVID-19 infection in children is rare," study co-author Dr. Vikash S. Oza told UPI.

"However, MIS-C is a very real and a potentially fatal consequence of this virus," said Oza, director of pediatric dermatology at New York University School of Medicine.

Children account for roughly 10% of the more than 15 million people in the United States infected with COVID-19, based on figures from Johns Hopkins University.

In the context of COVID-19, the symptoms of MIS-C are similar to those of Kawasaki disease, a rare but life-threatening condition that causes inflammation of the blood vessels in the body, damaging the heart and other organs, Oza and his colleagues said.

For this study, Oza and his team at NYU Langone reported on 35 children who ranged in age from infancy to 17 and were diagnosed with MIS-C, or suspected of having the disease, likely as a result of being infected with COVID-19.

Of the 35 children, 21 developed eye infections sometimes referred to as "red eye," while 18 suffered from palmoplantar erythema, or redness of the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

In addition, 17 experienced lip hyperemia, or excessive blood flow to the lips that causes swelling and eight had "strawberry tongue," or severe swelling or redness of the tongue. Seven were found to have severe swelling and information around the eyes, the researchers said.

They said they hope their observations can serve as a guide for "front-line clinicians" in the diagnosis of MIS-C in children with COVID-19, as these young people can experience serious health complications.

"No one patient looks the same -- we did not identify one dermatologic feature that all MIS-C children presented with," Oza said.