A 12-Year-Old Boy Is Brought to the Office Due to a Rash

A 12-year-old boy is brought to the office due to a rash on the posterior neck.  The patient has had this rash intermittently over the past several years.  During the last 2 months, the rash has become increasingly pruritic with the cooler weather, and the patient is constantly scratching his neck.  The patient has no other medical conditions and takes no medications.  Vital signs are normal.  The posterior neck is shown in the image below: Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's rash?

A) Cutaneous infection with mites
B) Cutaneous infection with Trichophyton rubrum
C) Genetically mediated skin barrier dysfunction
D) Hormone-mediated keratinocyte and dermal fibroblast proliferation
E) Proliferation of atypical keratinocytes due to p53 mutation

Correct Answer:

Verified

Show Answer