Dermatological Manifestations of COVID-19: A Comprehensive Review

February 2025 in “ Physician s Journal of Medicine ”

Violet Munarov, Jonathan Munarov, Naeem Ahmad, Jaskomal Phagoora, Domaldy De Jesus, S. S. Saini, Anna K. Hell

Studysummary In this review, researchers highlighted that COVID-19 can cause various skin manifestations like maculopapular rashes and "COVID toes," which often precede or appear without respiratory symptoms, suggesting their potential for early detection and prognostic evaluation, especially in severe cases. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

This comprehensive review highlights the importance of recognizing dermatological manifestations of COVID-19, such as pernio-like lesions (COVID toes), maculopapular rashes, urticarial eruptions, vesicular lesions, and vascular-related signs, which can aid in early diagnosis and management. The study, which reviewed literature from 2015 to 2024, found that these skin symptoms vary in prevalence and severity, with vascular lesions often indicating severe cases and potential systemic complications like coagulopathy or cytokine storms. The findings emphasize the need for dermatologic assessments in COVID-19 care, particularly for severe cases, and suggest that skin lesions may reflect systemic inflammation. Further research is needed to understand the pathophysiology and long-term effects of these dermatologic signs in COVID-19 patients.

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research The Most Common Skin Symptoms in Young Adults and Adults Related to SARS-CoV-2 Virus Infection

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research Cutaneous Manifestations Associated With COVID-19 Infection at a University Hospital in Eastern China

1 citations , January 2024 in “American journal of clinical and experimental immunology.”

This study reports that cutaneous manifestations such as herpes zoster, purpura, and livedo reticularis in COVID-19 patients can potentially indicate disease severity, aiding in the prediction of the illness's progression and guiding dermatological management during the pandemic.

research Defining the Short-Term and Long-Term Skin Manifestations of COVID-19: Insights After More Than Three Years of the Pandemic

1 citations , October 2023 in “Romanian Journal of Morphology and Embryology”

This review analyzed 109 articles to classify skin lesions associated with COVID-19 and their frequency during the disease, but found no conclusive evidence on long-term persistence of specific types due to rarity.

Mucocutaneous Presentations of Critical and Non-Critical Admitted COVID-19 Patients and Vaccine-Associated Dermatoses: A Study from Iran

research Mucocutaneous Presentations of Critical and Non-Critical Admitted COVID-19 Patients and Vaccine-Associated Dermatoses: A Study from Iran

May 2023 in “Dermatology Reports”

In this original study, researchers documented 121 COVID-19 cases with a wide range of mucocutaneous manifestations, some linked to internal organ damage and others to new vaccine-associated dermatoses, emphasizing the importance of rapid diagnosis to prevent potentially life-threatening systemic events.

research Three Years On, COVID-19 and the Skin: Long-Term Impacts, Emerging Trends and Clinical Practice

May 2023 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

COVID-19 can cause long-term skin problems and has changed how skin doctors work.

research Skin Diseases Associated With COVID-19: A Narrative Review

4 citations , April 2023 in “Cutis”

This review examines various skin conditions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, covering virus-related dermatoses and cutaneous side effects from treatments and vaccines, but reports no clinical results.

research COVID-19 and Cutaneous Manifestations: A Review of the Published Literature

48 citations , November 2022 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology”

This review discusses various skin manifestations associated with COVID-19, emphasizing their potential role in early diagnosis and management of the infection, but reports no new clinical findings.

research Rash Morphology as a Predictor of COVID-19 Severity: A Systematic Review of the Cutaneous Manifestations of COVID-19

7 citations , May 2022 in “Skin health and disease”

This study found that COVID-19 is associated with various skin rashes, which can indicate the severity of the disease, with chilblain-like lesions linked to milder cases and acro-ischaemia to more severe outcomes.

research Skin Manifestations Associated with COVID-19

18 citations , November 2021 in “Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia”

This review examines the skin manifestations associated with COVID-19 but reports no new clinical findings, emphasizing the need for differential diagnoses to correlate skin symptoms with the virus.

research Dermatologic Manifestations of COVID-19: A Comprehensive Systematic Review

27 citations , November 2020 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

This review examined dermatologic symptoms associated with COVID-19 in 2,560 patients, with chilblains/pernio-like lesions being the most common, suggesting these symptoms may aid in early identification of cases.

research Cutaneous Manifestations and Considerations in COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

101 citations , July 2020 in “Dermatologic therapy”

This systematic review reports that "COVID toes" and other skin manifestations can be initial signs of COVID-19, and advises immunosuppressive therapy adjustments only for infected or at-risk patients.