Eruptive Pruritic Papular Porokeratosis (EPPP) Presenting as a Rare Facial Manifestation Associated With COVID-19: A Case Report

Sabita Aryal; Zhuqian Jiang; Liu Ye Qiang; Abdullah Shehryar

doi:10.7759/cureus.57650

Eruptive Pruritic Papular Porokeratosis (EPPP) Presenting as a Rare Facial Manifestation Associated With COVID-19: A Case Report

Cureus. 2024 Apr 5;16(4):e57650. doi: 10.7759/cureus.57650. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Authors

Sabita Aryal¹, Zhuqian Jiang², Liu Ye Qiang³, Abdullah Shehryar⁴

Affiliations

¹ Dermatology and Venerology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, CHN.
² Dermatology, Shanghai Jiading Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, CHN.
³ Dermatology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, CHN.
⁴ Internal Medicine, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, PAK.

Abstract

This case report presents a rare instance of Eruptive Pruritic Papular Porokeratosis (EPPP) in a 71-year-old Chinese male, emerging on atypical sites (face, scalp, and ears) following a COVID-19 infection, and explores the potential link between viral infections and EPPP onset. The patient's lesions, characterized by annular brown patches with hyperkeratotic ridges, showed significant improvement following treatment with Baricitinib and Acitretin. This case underscores the need for awareness of unusual presentations of EPPP and suggests the potential efficacy of Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitors in treatment, prompting further research into the pathophysiological connections between EPPP and viral infections. Adherence to the SCARE 2023 guidelines ensures a comprehensive and transparent case presentation.

Keywords: case report; covid-19; epidermal keratinocytes; eruptive pruritic papular porokeratosis (eppp); inflammatory dsp; porokeratosis.

Publication types

Case Reports