“COVID Toes”
Dermatologists have observed purple lesions on the feet and hands of some patients with COVID-19 infection, explains Caroline Nelson, MD, a Yale Medicine dermatologist. These lesions are most often found in otherwise asymptomatic children and young adults, and may be itchy or painful.
While the association is still under investigation, this finding is often called “COVID toes.” Importantly, severe COVID-19 infection may also increase the tendency of the blood to clot, depriving the skin of blood flow and leading to purple skin lesions. Subtle differences in appearance provide doctors with clues to differentiate causes of purple skin lesions associated with COVID-19 infection.
“Swollen toes and feet might also be related to venous thrombosis and poor return of the blood to the heart rather than poor blood flow to the toes,” says interventional radiologist Hamid Mojibian, MD, of Yale Medicine—which is why you should let your doctor know about this unusual symptom.
