Lyme Disease Rashes and Look-alikes

“Classic” Lyme disease rash

Circular red rash with central clearing that slowly expands

Description:
Circular, expanding rash with target-like appearance.

Expanding rash with central crust

Image of a red rash with a lesion on persons shoulder.

Photo Credit: Bernard Cohen

Description:
Expanding lesion with central crust on chest.

Expanding erythema migrans

Early, expanding erythema migrans with nodule

Photo Credit: Reprinted from Bhate C, Schwartz RA. Lyme disease: Part I. Advances and perspectives. J Am Acad Dermatol 2011;64:619-36, with permission from Elsevier.

Description:
Early, expanding erythema migrans with nodule.

Multiple rashes, disseminated infection

Early disseminated Lyme disease; multiple red lesions with dusky centers

Photo Credit: Bernard Cohen

Description:
Early disseminated Lyme disease; multiple lesions with dusky centers.

Red, oval plaque

Image of a large red oval-shaped rash on a person's torso.

Photo Credit: Alison Young

Description:
Red, expanding oval-shaped plaque on trunk.

Expanding rash with central clearing

Image of a circular red rash with central clearing on person's arm

Photo Credit: Taryn Holman

Description:
Circular, expanding rash with central clearing.

Bluish hued rash, no central clearing

Bluish hued circular rash on person's skin.

Photo Credit: Yevgeniy Balagula

Description:
Bluish hued without central clearing.

Expanding lesion, no central clearing

Expanding lesion without central clearing on back of knee.

Photo Credit: Gary Wormser

Description:
Expanding lesion without central clearing on back of knee.

Red-blue lesion with central clearing

Red-blue lesion with central clearing on back of knee

Photo Credit: Robin Stevenson

Description:
Red-blue lesion with some central clearing on back of knee.

Insect bite hyper-sensitivity

Large red rash on person's leg

Photo Credit: Chris Ha

Description:
Large itchy rash caused by an allergic reaction to an insect bite.

Fixed drug reaction

dark red/purple spots on person's arm

Photo Credit: Shahbaz A. Janjua

Description:
A skin condition that occurs up to two weeks after a person takes a medication. The skin condition reappears at the same location every time a person takes that particular medication.

Ringworm (Tinea corporis)

Five large red, raised ringworm rashes on persons

Photo Credit: Bernard Cohen

Description:
Ringworm is a common skin infection that is caused by a fungus. It’s called “ringworm” because it can cause a ring-shaped rash that is usually red and itchy with raised edges.

Pityriasis rosea rash

Rash completley covering man's torso.

Photo Credit: Bernard Cohen

Description:
A rash without a known cause that can be a round or oval, pink, and scaly with a raised border. It can sometimes itch. Larger patches than the one shown here are also common.

Granuloma annulare rash

rash on person's leg

Photo Credit: Bernard Cohen

Description:
Reddish bumps on the skin arranged in a circle or ring.

Urticaria multiforme

red splotchy rash on the torso and arms of a toddler

Photo Credit: Bernard Cohen

Description:
Also known as hives. Often caused by an allergic reaction to food, an infection, or a medicine. May burn or itch.