What is Grover Disease
Grover disease is a skin disease that causes a rash of itchy, red bumps (skin lesions). The condition is also known as transient acantholytic dermatosis. Lesions start on the chest and back and move to the shoulders, arms, and legs.
Over time, some lesions may develop into watery blisters. Painful lesions may also form inside the mouth. The lesions may go away and keep coming back. The condition does not cause any other physical problems, and it is not passed from person to person (contagious).
What are the causes?
The cause of Grover disease is not known. It may be a skin reaction to:
- Heat and sweating.
- A skin infection.
- Skin damage from sun exposure.
What increases the risk?
Grover disease is most common in White men older than 40 years of age. Other risk factors may include:
- Frequent exposure to heat that causes sweating.
- Having damaged skin from sun exposure.
- Having another type of skin disease (dermatitis).
- Frequently using hot tubs, steam baths, or electric blankets.
What are the signs or symptoms?
The main sign of Grover disease is a sudden outbreak of red or brown raised bumps on the upper chest or back. These skin lesions may:
- Appear in clusters.
- Be very itchy for some people, but other people may not have any itchiness.
How is this diagnosed?
Your health care provider may suspect Grover disease if you have itchy skin lesions on your back or chest. Your health care provider will also do a physical exam. The diagnosis may be confirmed by a procedure to take a small skin sample from a lesion to be examined under a microscope (biopsy).
How is this treated?
There is no cure for Grover disease. Treatment is used to control the rash and itching. This may include:
- Anti-inflammatory cream or ointment (topical steroid). This is the most common treatment, and it usually controls symptoms until the outbreak goes away.
- Antihistamine medicine to relieve itching.
- Antibiotic medicine to reduce the number of lesions.
- A medicine that is a form of vitamin A. This may be used in severe cases.
- A skin treatment that combines a medicine and ultraviolet light to treat long-term outbreaks or outbreaks that do not respond to other treatments.
Follow these instructions at home:
- Take medicines only as directed by your health care provider.
- Do nottreat your skin lesions on your own with over-the-counter medicines.
- Do notscratch or pick at the skin lesions. That can cause skin infection and scarring.
- Avoid activities that make you sweat.
- Do notuse hot tubs or steam baths.
- Avoid sun exposure. Wear clothing that covers your lesions when you are in the sun.
Contact a health care provider if:
- Your skin lesions have not gone away after 12 months.
- You cannot stop itching and scratching.
- You have any side effects from your medicines.
- Your
skin shows signs of infection, such as being:
- Red.
- Swollen.
- Warm.
- Tender to touch.
