Objective: Pityriasis rosea (PR) is a self-limited, common, acute papulosquamous disease that frequently affects the trunk and extremities. It typically affects children and young adults. It is rare under ten years of age. There are few studies on PR seen in children. We therefore aimed to investigate the clinical course and characteristics of PR in children.

Material and Methods: This is a retrospective study of 67 children aged 6 months to 16 years who presented to the dermatology outpatient clinic and were diagnosed as PR with  the clinical and/or histopathologic findings.

The patients were examined in terms of age, gender, location of lesions, plaque presence, itching, duration of complaints, presence of upper respiratory tract infection or prodromal symptoms, family history, atopy history, and drug history.

Results: The age of the 67 children included in the study ranged from 6 months to 16 years, with an average age of 9.22 and a peak age of 11 (17.9%). There were 29 male (43.3%) and 38 (56.7%) female patients. There were 36 (53.7%) patients under 10 years of age and 10 patients (14.9%) under 4 years of age. Four patients (6%) had atopy, and the duration of disease ranged from 3 days to 4 months (mean 17 days). The interval between the leading lesion and the secondary lesion ranged from 3 days to 1 month (mean 9 days). The lesions were most frequently seen in the trunk.

There were 4 cases (6%) of upper respiratory tract infection prior to the disease. The most common season for the occurrence of the disease was autumn (24 patients, 35.8%). A medallion plaque was observed in 97% of the cases and was localized most frequently on the body. The number of patients with atypical PR was 13 (19.4%) (5 localized, one papulovesicular, one with dual medallions, 6 persistent).

Conclusion: Adult and child PR is not very different clinically.

Keywords: Atypical, Child