A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies on Mucocutaneous Manifestations of COVID-19: Virus-Related and Drug-Related

ABSTRACT

Coronavirus could affect almost any part of the body including the skin. In this systematic review, the primary skin lesions resulting from the direct activity of the virus or the medications used for treatment and the changes in the behavior of the virus regarding the occurrence of these symptoms over time were assessed. PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, TRIP Cochrane, Cochrane Skin were searched for all published articles from February 19 to July 1, 2020, which met the inclusion criteria. Thirty-six related articles were extracted. Twenty-eight studies reported virus-related mucocutaneous eruptions and 8 articles, the drug-reactions. Data of 583 patients were included. Skin lesions of COVID-19 could be caused by both the virus itself or the influence of drugs used for the treatment. Morbilliform rashes, urticaria, and acral-vasculopathic cutaneous lesions were at the forefront of primary COVID-dependent skin lesions with no significant change during time, Also, Hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir, paracetamol, and antibiotics were reported as the main causes of drug-induced rashes. Since dermatologic manifestations may occur prior or simultaneously/after other COVID clinical symptoms, so they may helpful in patients’ early diagnosis or prediction of internal organ involvements via histopathologic evaluations of skin biopsies especially about vasculopathic and vasculitic, respectively.