Acral Changes in pediatric patients during COVID 19 pandemic: Registry report from the COVID 19 response task force of the society of pediatric dermatology (SPD) and pediatric dermatology research alliance (PeDRA)

Background/objective: In spring 2020, high numbers of children presented with acral pernio-like skin rashes, concurrent with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Understanding their clinical characteristics/ infection status may provide prognostic information and facilitate decisions about management.

Methods: A pediatric-specific dermatology registry was created by the Pediatric Dermatology COVID-19 Response Task Force of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology (SPD) and Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) and was managed by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia using REDCap.

Results: Data from 378 children 0-18 years entered into the registry between April 13 and July 17, 2020 were analyzed. Data were drawn from a standardized questionnaire completed by clinicians which asked for demographics, description of acral lesions, symptoms before and after acral changes, COVID-19 positive contacts, treatment, duration of skin changes, laboratory testing including SARS-CoV-2 PCR and antibody testing, as well as histopathology. 229 (60.6%) were male with mean age of 13.0 years (± 3.6 years). Six (1.6%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Pedal lesions (often with pruritus and/or pain) were present in 96%. 30% (114/378) had COVID-19 symptoms during the 30 days prior to presentation. Most (69%) had no other symptoms and an uneventful course with complete recovery.

Conclusions and relevance: Children with acral pernio-like changes were healthy and all recovered with no short-term sequelae. We believe these acral changes are not just a temporal epiphenomenon of shelter in place during the spring months of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and may be a late phase reaction that needs further study.