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Background COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is a viral infection that presents in heterogeneous forms with effects on multiple organ systems including the skin. Objectives The objectives of this prospective observational study were to identify cutaneous lesions in confirmed COVID-19-positive patients admitted to a district general hospital in the eastern region of England, to determine the prevalence of these lesions and compare the findings with the current literature. Materials & Methods The study was conducted at the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital during the first peak of the pandemic in the United Kingdom to identify skin manifestations in patients infected with COVID-19. Several variables were taken into consideration and photographs of skin lesions were taken. Unlike previous similar studies, all patients included in this study had a positive nasopharyngeal PCR swab for SARS-CoV-2. All photographs were analysed by a dermatology consultant. Results A total of 93 patients were included in the study; 40% ( n = 37) had cutaneous lesions but only 5.5% of the total patients ( n = 6) presented with likely coronavirus-related skin changes. Lesions identified were pseudochilblain and purpuric/livedoid type. We also noted several coagulation abnormalities in these patients. Conclusion COVID-19 can present with a variety of skin manifestations. Pseudochilblain lesions and purpuric livedoid lesions have been described in the literature and although the underlying mechanism is not fully understood, it is possible that these lesions represent thromboinflammatory processes as a result of the hypercoagulability state associated with COVID-19. More research is required to better understand the pathophysiology and epidemiology of these manifestations. Supplementary data Supplementary data associated with this article can be found, in the online version, at doi: 10.1684/ejd.2022.4202.

Pseudoainhum is a rare and poorly characterised phenomenon involving autoamputation of a digit associated with an identifiable or related disease process. We describe the case of a 19-year-old man with long-standing neurodisability, sensorineural hearing loss and severe keratoderma, presenting with painless rapidly-progressing autoamputation of his left little toe. Genetic analysis thus far has been inconclusive. The toe appeared to be hanging on by a thread, with no clinical signs of infection. Radiographs showed lysis with complete resorption of the proximal phalynx. Routine blood tests found an isolated neutropenia with normal C reactive protein and biochemistry. We report an unusual case of a young adult with a history of chronic neurological and dermatological problems presenting with secondary pseudoainhum and provide a valuable addition to the limited literature describing this rare condition.

A female patient in her 50s presented with blue discolouration of several toes and with single nail dystrophy affecting the little toenail. The nail changes were considered to be secondary to poor circulation and chilblains, which led to delay in the diagnosis of amelanotic subungual melanoma.