Symptoms:
- Skin lesion or rash
- Starts with a single (herald) lesion
- Followed several days later by more lesions
- May follow cleavage lines or appear in a "Christmas tree" pattern
- Oval plaque, papule, or macule
- Sharp border
- May spread
- Centers have wrinkled (cigarette paper) appearance
- The lesions appears like a scale that is attached at the edges and loose at the center
- Itching of the lesions (mild to severe)
- Skin redness or inflammation
Signs and tests:
Your health care provider can usually diagnose pityriasis rosea by the way the rash looks. A blood test may be needed to rule out a form of syphilis, which can cause a similar rash. Occasionally, a skin biopsy may be needed to confirm the diagnosis.