When assessing inflammatory dermatoses in children with skin of color, it may be necessary to train the eye to recognize subtle changes and colors other than red, a doctor suggested at the virtual American Academy of Pediatrics annual meeting.
First, doctors should see whether they can detect any erythema, said Latanya T. Benjamin, MD, associate professor of pediatric dermatology at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton. “If the answer is no because of the background competing chromophore, then shift your focus off of the erythema and perhaps onto other colors that the skin can demonstrate,” such as red-brown, violaceous, or grayish hues.
Comparing involved areas with normal skin also may help. “Sometimes you can pick up subtleties in colors that way,” Dr. Benjamin said.
Finally, look for other changes that could relate to the patient’s condition. For example, when diagnosing acne, Dr. Benjamin looks for pigmentary sequelae like hyperpigmentation. “If a patient has atopic dermatitis, is there hypopigmentation on other areas of the face?”
Consider cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in the differential diagnosis of generalized hypopigmented patches and plaques in patients with darker skin types, Dr. Benjamin noted. Other diagnoses that may result in hypopigmentation include pityriasis alba, vitiligo, tinea versicolor, ash-leaf macules, Hansen’s disease, postinflammatory hypopigmentation secondary to atopic dermatitis, and tinea corporis.
Be sensitive to the fact that changes in skin color can be “very annoying or devastating to the family,” even with medically benign conditions such as pityriasis alba, Dr. Benjamin added.
Dr. Candrice R. Heath
Detecting redness in brown skin tones can take practice, Candrice R. Heath, MD, a member of the board of directors for the Skin of Color Society, commented in an interview.
Furthermore, presentations vary. For instance, depictions of atopic dermatitis in educational materials may focus on red patches and plaques but “miss that there are several presentations in those with darker skin tones, including follicular prominence, hyperpigmented plaques, and coin-shaped lesions,” said Dr. Heath, assistant professor of dermatology at Temple University, Philadelphia.
“The skin of color population is growing,” noted Dr. Heath. “By 2023, there will be more children with skin of color than without in the United States.”
While Dr. Heath has lectured about skin of color as it relates to pediatric patients for years, “now with the nation’s renewed interest in disparities in health care, it is the perfect time to highlight conditions that present more commonly in skin of color and present differently in those with skin of color.”
Dr. Benjamin had no conflicts of interest. Dr. Heath serves as associate editor of Cutis, which is owned by the same company as this publication.