At a recent official ceremony, Donald Trump, 79, revealed an area of irritated skin protruding from his shirt collar. If his medical team wants to be reassuring, Dr Gérald Kierzek, medical director of True Medical, analyzes for us the probable hypotheses behind this lesion.
A “preventative” treatment according to the White House
Faced with growing concern, White House physician Dr. Sean Barbarella quickly spoke up to put out the media fire.
“President Trump is using a widely used cream on the right side of his neck, which is a preventative skin treatment, prescribed by the White House physician. The President is using this treatment for a week and the redness should persist for a few weeks.”
An explanation which, however, leaves Dr Gérald Kierzek skeptical. For the emergency physician, the term used is vague. “I don’t really see what preventive cream could be used. Preventative of what?” he asks, suggesting that the plaque could instead be the manifestation of an underlying pathology.
The shingles hypothesis: viral reactivation
The first avenue mentioned by Dr. Kierzek is that of shingles. This pathology, common among seniors, results from the reactivation of the chickenpox virus.
- The symptoms. It manifests itself as unilateral red patches (on one side only, like here on Donald Trump’s neck), often accompanied by vesicles and then crusts;
- The feeling. “This can cause burning, pain, or stinging even before the rash occurs.” specifies the doctor. Antiseptic treatment is sometimes applied to avoid secondary infection, which could explain the irritated appearance.
Contact dermatitis or bacterial infection?
The neck is an area particularly sensitive to external aggression. Dr Kierzek also mentions the possibility of contact dermatitis. It may be an allergic or irritant reaction to a perfume, a hair product, or a shaving treatment. Even the repeated rubbing of a shirt collar that is too stiff.
Finally, a bacterial skin infection, such as impetigo or folliculitis, cannot be excluded. These infections are often characterized by inflammatory redness and the appearance of brownish or yellowish crusts, similar to those observed on AFP images.
Presidential health under close surveillance
This is not the first time that Donald Trump’s physique is of concern. Recently, hematomas on his hands had been caused by taking daily aspirin.
More anecdotal but just as commented on, his apparent slumber during a Council of Ministers. A fact brushed aside by the person concerned, affirming that he simply considered the meeting “boring”. At 79 years old, every sign of fatigue or skin lesion of the American president is now analyzed as an indicator of his ability to govern.
In summary, if the official version pleads for a simple reaction to preventive care, the clinical aspect of the lesion points more towards a common dermatological condition such as shingles or dermatitis, for Dr. Kierzek. In any case, the disappearance of the plaque in the coming weeks will confirm, or not, the benignity of this episode.