A young person from the United Kingdom developed a rare skin condition after spending up to eight hours a day with the laptop computer placed on their abdomen. The case was described by two British doctors in BMJ Case Reports and ended up confusing health professionals until the young person explained how they used the computer.
The heat emitted by the device was not enough to cause a burn, but prolonged exposure ended up leaving a reddish pattern on the skin. The young person developed erythema ab igne, a condition in Latin meaning "redness from fire".
The doctors explained that repeated exposure to heat sources, even if they do not reach high temperatures, can cause this condition. The pattern left on the skin is similar to lace, but the exact causes of this specific phenomenon remain unexplained.
