Fir tree pattern lesion on trunk is seen in: September 2009

Ans. C: Pityriasis Rosea In pityriasis rosea, a single scaling patch (the Herald Patch) often appears one to twenty days before the general rash. It is an oval plaque 2-5 cm in diameter, with a scale trailing just inside the edge of the lesion. The herald patch is often mistaken as ringworm. It can also be confused with psoriasis. A few days later, smaller similar scaly patches appear, scattered mainly on the trunk but may spread to the thighs, upper arms and neck. The oval patches follow the line of the ribs like a fir tree. They have a dry surface and may have an inner circle of scaling. The plaques may be a faint pink to a deep red. They may be very itchy, but in most cases they don't itch at all. Pityriasis rosea usually avoids the face, although sometimes a few spots spread to the cheeks.