An 8-Year-Old Boy with Scaly Papules on the Knees and Elbows

During a regular check-up, a mother remarks that her 8-year-old son had developed clusters of follicular, scaly papules bilaterally on his knees and elbows “over the past few weeks.” They didn’t seem to bother him, but because her son is prone to allergies the mother wondered if changes in household substances like soap or laundry detergent could be responsible.

View the photo and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.