A report in a respected pediatrics journal said an iPad was the cause of a strange and unexplained rash in an 11-year-old boy.

The report published in "Pediatrics," the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the boy was recently admitted to a San Diego hospital due to an itchy body rash.

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Dr. Sharon Jacob from the Rady Children's Hospital said nickel used in the casing of the iPad apparently triggered the rash. Nickel is one of the most allergy-inducing metals.

Nickel rashes are not that harmful but patients become uncomfortable because of it. Treatment may require steroids and antibiotics if the skin becomes infected.

The Pediatrics report said the boy had a common skin condition that caused squamous patches, but he eventually experienced a separate rash all over his body. The rashes did not respond to the usual treatment.

Doctors did a skin test which discovered the boy had a nickel allergy. They also found out that his allergic rash was caused by an iPad his family had been using since 2010.

Tests on the iPad confirmed nickel traces on the device's outer casing.

"He used the iPad daily," Dr. Jacob said.

A protective case was put over the iPad and the boy's rashes disappeared.

There are no reports about whether other iPad models and Apple products contain nickel. Apple, Inc. has not yet commented on the incident.

TagsIpad, Apple Inc., nickel bits, Tech, gadget