Deep-seated blisters on fingers after a penicillin rash.
Dear Sir or Madam,
Three weeks ago, I had a severe penicillin exanthem (presumably due to reactivation of the Epstein-Barr virus) all over my body. After the acute rash subsided, my skin is now peeling all over. However, small, itchy/painful blisters have formed on my fingers, on the fingertips (underside) and partially on the joints (top) and sides of the fingers. These blisters have now merged into a large blister under the fingertips. The top third of the last phalanx of my thumbs is swollen, the skin appears very smooth, almost hard (see photo). The blisters seem to be in deep layers of the skin, so they are not classic water-filled blisters like those caused by rubbing shoes. These areas are particularly painful in the mornings, and I can hardly open a tube of toothpaste.
My general practitioner saw these blisters as a further aftereffect or skin reaction after the exanthem, but thought last week that they should go away within a few days. I have been using a cortisone-containing ointment for 5 days now. Some of the small blisters have improved, but new ones are appearing. The large blisters appear unchanged.
My question to you now is: could these blisters really be a consequence of the exanthem, for example due to the new, thin skin and thus a mechanical cause? Does it make sense to see a dermatologist or should I just wait and continue applying the ointment?
Thank you very much.
