COVID-19 cutaneous manifestations in children and adolescents: a systematic review

Rev Paul Pediatr. 2022 Jun 10:40:e2021134. doi: 10.1590/1984-0462/2022/40/2021134IN. eCollection 2022.
[Article in English, Portuguese]

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cutaneous manifestations described in pediatric patients and discuss their relevance for early diagnosis.

Data source: The study consisted of a systematic review of original articles indexed in PubMed and Embase databases, as well as gray literature articles found through Google Scholar. A search strategy, based on PICO (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) Tool, with the terms "child," "infant," "childhood," "adolescents," "teenagers," "COVID-19," "SARS-CoV-2," and "skin manifestations," was performed to optimize the findings. The study did not restrict any article regarding language.

Data synthesis: Out of the 310 articles that initially met the inclusion criteria, 35 were selected for review, totalizing 369 patients. The most common COVID-19 cutaneous manifestations in children and adolescents were Chilblain-like lesions, presented in 67.5% of the cases, followed by erythema multiforme-like (31.7%) and varicella-like lesions (0.8%). The Chilblain-like lesions appeared 7.6 days (95%CI 7.4-7.8) after the viral infection and lasted for 17.5 days (95%CI 16.5-18.5), erythema multiforme-like lesions appeared in 9.5 days (95%CI 9-10) and lasted for 10.3 days (95%CI 9.1-11.5), and varicella-like lesions appeared in 12.3 days (95%CI 4-20.6) and lasted for 7 days.

Conclusions: Knowledge of the different skin manifestations in children and adolescents with COVID-19 is essential for an early diagnosis and, consequently, the possibility of promptly care adoption as well as to interrupt the new coronavirus transmission chains in the current pandemic context.

Objetivo:: Avaliar as manifestações cutâneas da Doença de Coronavírus 2019 (COVID-19) descritas em pacientes pediátricos e discutir sua relevância para o diagnóstico precoce.

Fontes de dados:: O estudo consistiu em uma revisão sistemática de artigos originais indexados nas bases de dados PubMed e Embase, assim como na literatura cinzenta localizados via Google Scholar. Uma estratégia de busca, baseada na PICO (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) Tool, com os termos “child”, “infant”, “childhood”, “adolescents”, “teenagers”, “COVID-19”, “SARS-CoV-2” e “skin manifestations” foi conduzida para otimizar os achados. Não houve restrições de idiomas.

Síntese de dados:: 35 dos 310 artigos que inicialmente cumpriram os critérios de inclusão foram selecionados para revisão, totalizando 369 pacientes. As manifestações cutâneas mais comuns de COVID-19 em crianças e adolescentes foram as lesões Chilblain-Like presentes em 67,5% dos casos, seguidas pelas lesões Eritema Multiforme-Like (31,7%) e Varicella-Like (0,8%). As lesões Chilblain-Like surgiram 7,6 dias (IC95% 7,4–7,8) após a infecção viral e tiveram duração de 17,5 dias (IC95% 16,5–18,5); as lesões Eritema Multiforme-Like surgiram em 9,5 dias (IC95% 9–10) e duraram 10,3 dias (IC95% 9,1–11,5) e as lesões Varicella-Like apareceram em 12,3 dias (IC95% 4–20,6) e duraram 7 dias.

Conclusões:: O conhecimento das diferentes manifestações cutâneas em crianças e adolescentes com COVID-19 é essencial para o diagnóstico precoce da doença, assim como possibilitar adoção de prontos cuidados e interromper cadeias de transmissão do novo coronavírus.

Publication types

  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • COVID-19*
  • Chickenpox*
  • Chilblains*
  • Child
  • Erythema Multiforme*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Skin Diseases* / etiology