During the COVID‐19 pandemic, chilblain‐like lesions have been reported in mildly symptomatic children and adolescents. We present four children investigated for suspected COVID‐19 infection who presented with acral skin findings and mild systemic symptoms. Histology from one case showed signs of vasculitis with evident fibrin thrombus.

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 is rapidly and dramatically spreading throughout the world. We describe the clinical and histopathological features of 3 Italian patients with different cutaneous presentations of COVID-19 infection, observed and followed at the University of Milan. CASE REPORTSCase 1. A 59-year-old woman was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at the University of Milan with bilateral interstitial pneumonia. Three days after admission, she developed widespread erythematous macules on arms, trunk and lower limbs (Fig. 1 A-C) that spontaneously improved within 5 days. C-reactive protein was 12 mg/l. Reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR for COVID-19 virus was positive. Treatment was started with lopinavir-ritonavir, heparin and levofloxacin. She is currently recovering. Case 2. An 89-year-old woman was suffering from fever and cough of one-week duration. An exanthem on the trunk and arms was observed on admission at ICU (Fig. 1 D,E). Laboratory tests revealed mild increase in fibrinogen and transaminases. RT-PCR was positive for COVID-19 virus. Ceftriaxone and azithromycin were started. The exanthem improved spontaneously 8 days later. Case 3. A 57-year-old man in good general health acutely developed a widespread pruritic eruption of erythematous macules and papules (Fig. 1 F,G), followed two days later by fever, headache, cough and arthralgias. RT-PCR for COVID-19 virus was positive. Treatment with levofloxacin and hydroxychloroquine was started.

: Skin manifestations of COVID-19 infections are diverse and are new to the dermatology community. We had the opportunity to examine the clinical and histopathological features of several patients who were divided into 3 groups. The first group included 8 COVID-19–positive patients who were hospitalized and quarantined at home. The second group included children and young adults who presented with chilblain erythema, erythema multiforme, and urticaria-like lesions. This group of patients was negative for the COVID-19 gene sequences by polymerase chain reaction but had a high risk of COVID-19 infection. The third group included clinically heterogeneous and challenging lesions. These patients were not subject to either polymerase chain reaction tests or serological analyses because they sought dermatological attention only for a dermatosis. The histopathological analysis of these cases showed a wide spectrum of histopathological patterns. What appears to be constant in all skin biopsies was the presence of prominent dilated blood vessels with a swollen endothelial layer, vessels engulfed with red blood cells, and perivascular infiltrates, consisting mainly of cytotoxic CD8+ lymphocytes and eosinophils. In 2 cases, there was diffuse coagulopathy in the cutaneous vascular plexus. In the early phases of the disease, there were numerous collections of Langerhans cells in the epidermis after being activated by the virus. The presence of urticarial lesions, chilblains, targetoid lesions (erythema multiforme–like lesions), exanthema, maculohemorrhagic rash, or chickenpox-like lesions associated with the histopathological features mentioned previously should cause clinical dermatologists to suspect the possibility of COVID-19 infection, especially in patients with fever and cough.