Descriptive and comparative analysis of mucocutaneous manifestations in patients with dengue fever: A prospective study

Background Dengue is an arbovirosis affecting nearly 4 billion people worldwide. Since 2018, dengue has been re‐emerging in Reunion Island. The incidence of mucocutaneous manifestations varies according to the studies and is generally called ‘rash’. Objectives To assess the prevalence of different mucocutaneous symptoms and describe the characteristics of patients developing these symptoms and the clinical signs associated with severe dengue. Methods A prospective study was conducted in 2019 at the University Hospital of La Réunion, in patients presenting a positive PCR for dengue. Descriptive analyses were performed. All cases in the prospective study were examined by a dermatologist. Results A total of 163 cases were included. The prevalence of mucocutaneous signs was 80.4%. A pruritus was reported in 33.7% cases, an erythematous rash in 29.4% and a mouth involvement including lip, tongue, cheek, angular cheilitis, pharyngitis, mouth ulcer and gingivitis in 31.3%. Most of symptoms appeared in the first days, but some of them could disappear only after the 3rd week. Mucocutaneous signs were not associated with a severe dengue fever (p = 0.54), but ecchymotic purpura was (p = 0.037). In multivariate analysis, skin involvement was associated with flu‐like syndrome (headache, pharyngitis, rachis pain) and patient required rehydration but not invasive reanimation. Conclusion This work confirms the high prevalence of skin symptoms in dengue disease, but also their wide diversity. The mucocutaneous involvement of dengue fever appears to be accompanied by a pronounced flu‐like syndrome in people without severity, but careful examination to identify ecchymotic purpura or sign of dehydration in the mucous membranes would better identify cases that may worsen.