A middle-aged woman complained of an eczematous rash that oozed clear fluid, which turned blue as it dried. Indeed, a fluorescent blue-green crust was seeping from the rash. Could the calamine lotion the patient used on the rash have been the source of the color?
—Gregory A. Politzer, MD, Cincinnati
I could find no reports of such an occurrence with calamine lotion. Given the clinical presentation, I think you need to entertain the possibility of superinfection, especially with Pseudomonas. Secondary wound infections occur in patients with decubiti, eczema, and tinea pedis. These infections may have a characteristic blue-green exudate with a fruity odor.
—Jeffrey M. Weinberg, MD (103-11)
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