CHSU Discovery

Abstract

• Flagellate Dermatitis or Shiitake flagellate dermatitis is an erythematous
linear streaky pruritic rash that resembles whiplash marks which commonly
appear after a patient has consumed undercooked or raw Shiitake
mushrooms (lentinula edodes). Generally, the rash will appear approximately
24 hours after consuming undercooked mushrooms however it can take as
long as 5 days in some patients. Due to the uncommon clinical presentation
of these patients and its similarity with dermatomyositis or bleomycin use
these patients can often be misdiagnosed. This leads to a barrage of
unnecessary tests which only prolong proper treatment. In hopes of shedding
more light into atypical rash presentations, this case report aims to provide a
clearer picture of how a patient with Flagellate dermatitis may present and its
most common cause which is the consumption of a popular food, Shiitake
mushrooms, found in many restaurant dishes.