Do we have chicken pox?

[pdxmama]

A month ago my son broke out in what we thought was chicken pox. He had little red splotches on his face and a few on his body that grew redder, developed a white head (like a zit), and then crusted over within a day or so. He itched only midly when his body was warm (like after naps). He has not been vaccinated.

We kept him home from school and they seemed to go away after about two weeks, but then have re-occured every 4-6 days since then. I took him to the doctor twice and they would not let him in the clinic, but examined him in the car and said that chicken pox is their best guess. One doctor said that it can last 21 days. Now it has been 31 days since we first noticed the spots and we're really confused.

Has anyone had a similar experience or heard of a case like this? Anyone have ideas what else it could be?

Thanks!

[littlest birds]

I have dealt with several cases of chicken pox in my children, two recently. I will say that your description does not sound like chicken pox, though it may be your choice of words.

Chicken pox look more like blisters, a very clear-looking fluid-filled small blister. They don't look white. Sometimes they are described as looking like a dewdrop.

I have never heard of chicken pox being chronic in the way that you describe. I do not believe that they would heal and recurr like that. I have noticed a tendency for people to quickly assume that an unvaccinated child most likely has an illness that they think they "should" have been vaxed against. Now, many adults are also unfamiliar with chicken pox and therefore don't know how to dx it, and I would say this likely includes many young doctors.

I would tend to suspect misdiagnosis, and that the doctors are mistreating you because you don't vax--that they are also being irresponsible about carefully seeking an accurate dx.

That's just my first impression, from what little you have said, though, so I must admit I might be jumping to wrong conclusions.

[alegna]

It does not sound like chickenpox to me.

-Angela

[calicokatt]

Doesn't sound like it to me, either. Sounds a lot more like eczema. I get eczema in the winter only, when the air is dry. Red pimply bumps that will scab over if I itch them.... But I'm not a doctor Try a different clinic, and don't tell them you think its chicken pox, just tell them he has a wierd rash.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

No I don't think so either.

Unless your child is immunosuppressed and its coming out in a weird, unique way, in which case some immunologist would just love to write it up and add it to his publication CV.