Letters to the Editor
Vol. 18 No. 2 (2026)
https://doi.org/10.4081/dr.2025.10477

Self-induced discoloration of the face with red exogenous pigment detected by dermoscopy: a novel type of dermatitis artefacta in the COVID-19 era

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Published: 29 July 2025
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Dermatitis artefacta, self-inflicted disorder, red exogenous pigment, COVID-19, skin

Authors

Vincenzo Piccolo
Dermatology Unit, University of Campania, Naples, Italy.
Teresa Russo
Dermatology Unit, University of Campania, Naples, Italy.
Carlo Mazzatenta
Dermatology Unit, Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Lucca, Italy.
Giuseppe Argenziano
Dermatology Unit, University of Campania, Naples, Italy.
Julia Nowowiejska
julia.nowowiejska@umb.edu.pl
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland.
Mario Cutrone
Pediatric Dermatology Clinic, Centro di Medicina Mestre, Venice, Italy.
Markus Danielsson Darlington
Department of Dermatology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Aimilios Lallas
First Department of Dermatology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Ramon Grimalt
Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
Andrea Bassi
Dermatology Unit, Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Lucca, Italy.

Dear Editor,

Dermatitis artefacta (DA) is a condition on the border of psychiatry and dermatology, characterized by patients intentionally causing skin lesions to pretend that they are ill. DA is a very challenging entity to diagnose, as it can mimic many other disorders and is usually recognized only after exclusion of all other diseases. Herein, we report 3 cases of a novel cutaneous condition that could fall into the spectrum of DA. [...]

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Citations

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6. Piccolo V, Bassi A, Argenziano G, et al. Dermoscopy of chilblain-like lesions during the COVID-19 outbreak: A multicenter study on 10 patients. J Am Acad Dermatol 2020;83:1749-51.
7. Mazzatenta C, Piccolo V, Pace G, et al. Purpuric lesions on the eyelids developed after BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine: another piece of SARS-CoV-2 skin puzzle? J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2021;35:e543-5.
8. Piccolo V, Bassi A, Argenziano G, et al. BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine-induced chilblain-like lesions reinforces the hypothesis of their relationship with SARS-CoV-2. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2021;35:e493-4.

How to Cite



1.
Piccolo V, Russo T, Mazzatenta C, Argenziano G, Nowowiejska J, Cutrone M, et al. Self-induced discoloration of the face with red exogenous pigment detected by dermoscopy: a novel type of dermatitis artefacta in the COVID-19 era. Dermatol Reports [Internet]. 2025 Jul. 29 [cited 2026 Jul. 21];18(2). Available from: https://journals.pagepress.net/dr/article/view/10477
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