Clinics in Dermatology
Volume 28, Issue 5 , Pages 497-501 , September 2010

Pityriasis rosea and herpesviruses: Facts and controversies

  • Alfredo Rebora, MD

      Affiliations

    • Section of Dermatology (Professor Emeritus) University of Genoa, 7 Viale Benedetto XV, 16132 Genova, Italy
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +39 010 353 8414; fax: +39 010 353 8401.
    • ,
  • Francesco Drago, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Endocrinological and Metabolical Sciences, Section of Dermatology, University of Genoa, 7 Viale Benedetto XV, 16132 Genova, Italy
    • ,
  • Francesco Broccolo, MD

      Affiliations

    • Unit of Human Virology, DIBIT San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy

References 

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  3. Björnberg A, Hellgren L. Pityriasis rosea. A statistical, clinical, and laboratory investigation of 826 patients and matched healthy controls. Acta Derm Venereol Suppl (Stockh). 1962;42(Suppl 50):1–68
  4. Truhan AP. Pityriasis rosea. Am Fam Physician. 1984;29:193–196
  5. Tay YK, Goh CL. One-year review of pityriasis rosea at the National Skin Centre, Singapore. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 1999;28:829–831
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  7. Chuh AA, Dofitas BL, Comisel GG, et al. Interventions for pityriasis rosea. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;2:CD005068
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  13. Okamoto H, Imamura S, Aoshima T, et al. Dyskeratotic degeneration of epidermal cells in pityriasis rosea: light and electron microscopic studies. Br J Dermatol. 1982;107:189–194
  14. Drago F, Malaguti F, Ranieri E, et al. Human herpes virus-like particles in pityriasis rosea lesions: an electron microscopy study. J Cutan Pathol. 2002;29:359–361
  15. Parsons JM. Pityriasis rosea update:1986. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1986;15:159–167
  16. Gjenero-Margan I, Vidovic R, Drazenovic V. Pityriasis rosea Gibert: detection of Legionella micdadei antibodies in patients. Eur J Epidemiol. 1995;11:459–462
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  20. Bos JD, Huisman PM, Krieg SR, Faber WR. Pityriasis rosea (Gibert): abnormal distribution pattern of antigen presenting cells in situ. Acta Derm Venereol. 1985;65:132–137
  21. Chuh AA, Chan PK, Lee A. The detection of human herpesvirus-8 DNA in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in adult patients with pityriasis rosea by polymerase chain reaction. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2006;20:667–671
  22. Drago F, Ranieri E, Malaguti F, et al. Human herpesvirus 7 in patients with pityriasis rosea. Electron microscopy investigations and polymerase chain reaction in mononuclear cells, plasma and skin. Dermatology. 1997;195:374–378
  23. Broccolo F, Locatelli G, Sarmati L, et al. A calibrated Real-time PCR assay for the quantitation of Human herpesvirus 8 DNA in biological fluids. J Clin Microbiol. 2002;12:4652–4658
  24. Kosuge H, Tanaka-Taya K, Miyoshi H, et al. Epidemiological study of human herpesvirus-6 and human herpesvirus-7 in pityriasis rosea. Br J Dermatol. 2000;143:795–798
  25. Yasukawa M, Sada E, MacHino H, Fujita S. Reactivation of human herpesvirus 6 in pityriasis rosea. Br J Dermatol. 1999;140:169–170
  26. Watanabe T, Kawamura T, Jacob SE, et al. Pityriasis rosea is associated with systemic active infection with both human herpesvirus-7 and human herpesvirus-6. J Invest Dermatol. 2002;119:793–797
  27. Kempf W, Adams V, Kleinhans M, et al. Pityriasis rosea is not associated with human herpesvirus 7. Arch Dermatol. 1999;135:1070–1072
  28. Drago F, Ranieri E, Rebora A. Is pityriasis rosea skin healthier than healthy skin?. Arch Dermatol. 2000;136:932–934
  29. Karabulut AA, Koçak M, Yilmaz N, Eksioglu M. Detection of human herpesvirus 7 in pityriasis rosea by nested PCR. Int J Dermatol. 2002;41:563–567
  30. Chuh AA, Chiu SS, Peiris JS. Human herpesvirus 6 and 7 DNA in peripheral blood leucocytes and plasma in patients with pityriasis rosea by polymerase chain reaction: a prospective case control study. Acta Derm Venereol. 2001;81:289–290
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  32. Vág T, Sonkoly E, Kárpáti S, et al. Avidity of antibodies to human herpesvirus 7 suggests primary infection in young adults with pityriasis rosea. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2004;18:738–740
  33. Broccolo F, Drago F, Careddu AM, et al. Additional evidence that pityriasis rosea is associated with reactivation of human herpesvirus-6 and -7. J Invest Dermatol. 2005;124:1234–1240
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PII: S0738-081X(10)00029-5

doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2010.03.005

Clinics in Dermatology
Volume 28, Issue 5 , Pages 497-501 , September 2010

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