Hi,
Since September last year my daughter (13yr) has been getting these rashes on her joints.
We have been to countless GPs, gastroenterologist. Dermatologists, Paediatricians... none of them can work out what it is. They have ruled out via blood tests, coeliac and IBD. She has no real joint or muscle pain so they rule out any arthritis or Myositis. Its not eczema, classic psoriasis or allergy
Each time we have managed to get into a specialist (it takes weeks or months sometimes) her rash flare has settled and healed and there is nothing to examine or biopsy. Its hard to know what triggers it or when it'll flare again. She never has a cold or flu beforehand or during. No major emotional stressors or sun exposure. No particular food group.
Elbow rash - starts out as little red bumps. Over about 3 weeks the bumps get more and more and grow and eventually combine to form a plaque. The plaque has 1 or 2 days of intense inflammation. Not really itchy. Slightly tender when she leans on them. Then it heals by drying out and crusting. Then fades to leave a pigmented mark.
The elbows always start first. And when they're at their peak, she also gets lesions / nodules on her hand and toe knuckles. Her finger tips / area around nails, go red and inflamed and have a tender blistery feel. The palms of her hands get red spots which also feel tender.
Then it all heals and disappears like nothing happened. Since September 2025 its happened about 5 times. This last one was probably one of the worst.
She also has sun sensitivity and her face gets red and rashy when exposed to too much UV. She gets random "attacks" of leg pain and weakness. But nothing too crazy. Ive noticed in her blood tests her white cell count has been increasing slowly. From 5.3 in Sept ... then 6.7.. 8.3 and now 10.3
I genuinely think it is Amyopathic Juvenile Dermatomyositis. Which is skin only involvement of Dermatomyositis. Doctors dont think so.
Help.