What Is Your Lap Top Doing Tp You?

[Guest guest]

" They are called laptop computers, so you are supposed to place them on your

lap, but sometimes at a price. Placing a laptop on your thighs for extended

periods, especially if there is direct skin contact, could give you a nasty

rash, medically known as erythema ab igne, according to a report published in

the medical journal Pediatrics. The underside of a laptop is warm, much warmer

than many people realize, often above 50 celcius. That is enough heat,

especially if exposure is sustained and onto bare skin, to cause a rash to

eventually develop.

" s W. Arnold, MD, and H. Itin, MD, from the Department of

Dermatology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland wrote about a

12-year-old boy who developed erythema ab igne on his left thigh - they say it

was caused by using his laptop computer. The authors say that this latest case

is the 10th reported one since 2004 in which the patient developed erythema ab

igne, also informally known as toasted skin syndrome or fire stains from laptop

computer usage. The latest case was the youngest, they added.

" Erythema ab igne is caused by prolonged exposure to a heat or infrared source.

The skin develops a reticular, pigmented, and sometimes telangiectatic

dermatosis - there is a mild red rash, often described as blotchy, sometimes

there is a general redness of the skin in the affected area. The skin and

underlying tissue may become thinner, and lesions may develop. In some cases the

patient may experience mild itchiness and a burning sensation. Often it may go

unnoticed until the person sees it. It used to be more common among the

elderly, before central heating, when people would sit very close to fires or

electric heaters. Some individuals may get it from using hot water bottles or

heat packs. When caused by a laptop computer, the authors say the signs always

appear on the thighs. They believe the heat source is the optical drive, the

battery, or the computer's ventilation fan. Most experts agree that this laptop

rash should not cause any long-term ill effects or lead to complications. "

" Laptop Computer-Induced Erythema ab Igne in a Child and Review of the

Literature "

s W. Arnold, MD, H. Itin, MD

Published online October 4, 2010

PEDIATRICS (doi:10.1542/peds.2010-1390)

http://tinyurl.com/2abtszf

FYI,

Lottie Duthu