Overview
- A BMJ case report published Tuesday described a pre-teen who developed erythema ab igne after resting a laptop on his stomach for up to eight hours a day while it was often charging.
- Clinicians have reported a rise in children presenting with the net-like, blotchy rash linked to prolonged low-level heat from phones, tablets and laptops.
- Diagnosis is clinical and relies on a clear history and the characteristic reticulated appearance because there are no formal paediatric guidelines for managing the condition.
- Most rashes improve within weeks to months once the heat source is removed but some patients can be left with lasting hyperpigmentation and the published case’s resolution was confirmed only by a phone call rather than an in-person follow-up.
- Doctors advise asking children about device habits, device charging, and skin contact to avoid unnecessary blood tests and scans, and parents should avoid prolonged direct contact between devices and bare skin.