Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 7/23/2007

Question
I developed a strange rash on my lower leg last year.  I've went to a dermatologist and after several months of many treatment attempts and me insisting that he do a biopsy, he determined that it was some type of fungus, gave me a cream and some antibiotics.  After a year (almost to the day) the rash, and scare tissue was almost gone - then I had another procedure that required general anesthesia and within a few days the rash came back.

Reconstructing the timeline I realized that it began during a course of several anesthesia surgeries last year (5 total) of which, the last one was in July 2006.  It took a year of healing and shows up again after another anesthesia event.  COULD there be a connection . . . the dermatologist was stumped and is still not really "sure" what this rash is or was.  Could there be some connection between the anesthesia and the rash?


Answer
I have never heard of any association between rashes and anesthesia (other than allergic but these go away on their own). The fact that the rash came several days later also speaks against a relationship. The only guess I might have (and this is purely speculation) is that you may have Herpes Zoster and the stress of surgery reactivated it. I would think the dermatologist would recognize that but other than that, I don't have an answer for you.

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston