Softball Petechiae: A Novel Cutaneous Finding in a Patient Participating in Post-Exercise Massage

We report a case of a 39-year-old healthy male presenting with an eruption consisting of evenly spaced, well-circumscribed, round, petechial macules over a discrete region on his back. A detailed history revealed that the man participated in a high-intensity combination workout routine and post-exercise massage. He reported using a regulation-sized dimpled softball in order to massage the musculature of his back. A diagnosis of traumatic petechiae was established. A growing fitness culture encouraging high-intensity training and post-exercise massage coupled with the high costs of professional masseuse services has led to the increased use of self-massage techniques using both traditional and non-traditional massage equipment. The topography of this equipment and the rise in post-exercise self-massage may lead to an increase in traumatic rashes of varying clinical and cosmetic significance.