Pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta is a disease of the immune system. It is the more severe version of pityriasis lichenoides chronica. The disease is characterized by rashes and small lesions on the skin. The disease is more common in males and usually occurs in young adulthood, although it has been seen in every age group and every race. It is possible for the disease to go into remission for short periods of time or forever.
Causes
There is no known cause of this disease;[3] however, there is some evidence associating it with parvovirus B19.[4]
It is not contagious and currently there is no cure for the disease, although the lesions can be treated with phototherapy as well as antibiotics, including erythromycin, azithromycin and tetracycline.[5] Treatment often involves multiple therapies that address the immune system and bacterial, viral, or dermatological causes.[citation needed]
Eponym
Pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta is also known as Mucha–Habermann disease. It is named for Rudolf Habermann (1884–1941), a German dermatologist, and Viktor Mucha, an Austrian dermatologist.[6]
^Tomasini D, Tomasini CF, Cerri A, et al. (2004). "Pityriasis lichenoides: a cytotoxic T-cell-mediated skin disorder. Evidence of human parvovirus B19 DNA in nine cases". J. Cutan. Pathol. 31 (8): 531–8. doi:10.1111/j.0303-6987.2004.00186.x. PMID15268707. S2CID31070736.
^Linsey Davis (January 4, 2013). "High School Basketball Star Must Tan to Treat Rare Disease". ABC News. Retrieved January 4, 2013. Doctors say the ultraviolet technique is so effective that Borrelli cannot miss a single day of tanning, especially since the disease can resurface at any time and cause life-threatening complications in adults.