A 72-year-old man with an itchy, linear rash across his back
Consuming undercooked food can often have adverse effects on the human body, leading to various health issues. Numerous instances exist where individuals experienced health problems after eating insufficiently cooked meat or vegetables. Recently, a man developed a severe rash that covered his entire back after eating a common edible mushroom, shiitake. The rash was so painful that he had to go to the emergency department.
As detailed in a case study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, a 72-year-old man consumed a meal that included shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes). Within two days of this meal, he developed an extremely itchy rash on his back, leading to disrupted sleep.
These shiitake mushrooms, known for their earthy and meaty flavor, are a prevalent and widely available ingredient in numerous East Asian culinary traditions.
Live Science reported that when the man went to the hospital, doctors examined his back and discovered that he had streaks of inflamed, swollen skin that looked as if he had been whipped across his back and the top of his buttocks.
After ruling out various other allergies, the doctor carefully reviewed the patient's dietary history and concluded that the man was suffering from shiitake dermatitis. This condition is often characterized by distinctive "whip-like" streaks appearing on the trunk of the body.
The media outlet further mentioned that shiitake dermatitis, first reported in Japan in 1977, is most common in Asia, where the mushrooms are regularly eaten. However, cases have been reported elsewhere, for example, in Europe, North America, and South America.
The streaky rashes look similar to those that patients who take the chemotherapy drug bleomycin sometimes develop. They also look similar to rashes tied to dermatomyositis, an inflammatory condition that causes muscle weakness in addition to skin rashes, and adult-onset Still's disease, a type of inflammatory arthritis.