COVID-19 and Autoimmunity in Dermatology: A Moroccan Case Series and Literature Review

The study from the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Ibn Rochd in Morocco involved 18 patients with COVID-19-related skin symptoms. The findings revealed that 94.44% of the patients had general symptoms, with varying degrees of skin involvement. The most frequent skin symptoms were maculopapular rash (44.44%), purpura (27.77%), and urticaria. Half of the patients had mucosal involvement, 5.55% had viral reactivation, and 22.22% experienced Telogen effluvium, a temporary hair loss. COVID-19 triggered autoimmune diseases in some patients, including lupus (11.11%), psoriasis (11.11%), alopecia (5.55%), and pemphigus. Severe toxidermia was intensified by SARS-CoV-2 infection in 22.22% of the cases. The study concluded that COVID-19 can cause various skin symptoms and may trigger autoimmune dysregulation in individuals with genetic predisposition.