How slowly does a new head grow?

May 25, 2007 8:35 PM

Small, smooth, strange red bump on my shin for nearly four years. Doctors & pharmacist stumped. What is it?

It appeared quite out of nowhere - not that I inspect my legs daily, but one day I went to shave my legs and *bam* - red bump, about 1/2 centimeter in diameter. I figured at the time that it was a bite, pimple, ingrown hair (of mammoth proportions), etc - something temporary. There was no pain (other than the pain of having this third nipple in the middle of shorts season). When it didn't go away, recede, or get worse in the next few weeks I ran it by both a pharmacist and a doctor, who were both stumped. More importantly, though, the doctor was unconcerned, and said not to worry about it.

That was about four years ago. The bump still hasn't changed one iota - still as shiny, red, hairless, and painless at ever. But it *is* embarrassing. As I have rotten (major medical) insurance, I can't afford the elective procedure to have it removed just yet, but I'd love to know what this could be.

Can you name my little friend?

posted by AthenaPolias to health & fitness (15 comments total)

Lipoma is my wild-ass guess.
posted by frogan at 8:47 PM on May 25, 2007

Cherry hematoma.

I have a small red bump, a little smaller than yours, on my calf. It's been there for years. I always plan to ask the doc, but always forget. Well, last time I remembered. He said it was just a vein or artery or whatever that happened to spiral up close enough to the skin that you can see it. Nothing to worry about.

IANAD.
posted by spacewrench at 8:50 PM on May 25, 2007

Sounds like dermatofibroma.
It can be the result of an allergic reaction to an insect bite. (Yes, a permanent reaction!) Do you remember getting bitten at some point in your past?

That said, get a biopsy to be sure.
posted by bodega at 9:00 PM on May 25, 2007

One possibility is that the skin has folded inward on itself, leading to the dead skin cells that would normally slough off to accumulate 'under' the skin (actually in the fold). I don't know the name for that, though.

Anyway, they can be removed by the usual methods, cutting or freezing. You could speak to your doctor about using the semi-new home wart-removal kits that are basically the same freezing device used in a doctor's office.

As long as it doesn't hurt, grow, burn, ooze, or change shape or color I wouldn't be worried about it, though.

As for the cosmetic implications, since it's on your leg you could slap a band-aid on it and claim to have cut yourself shaving. Not sure if that'd be more or less of a bother, though.
posted by jedicus at 9:15 PM on May 25, 2007

hot damn, bodega, you might've figured it out!

just before it appeared, I spent 2 1/2 months travelling through Europe, spending most of my time outdoors and in rural/wooded areas. I didn't notice any particular bite or sting, but it easily could have happened at any point on that trip. I'm having issues trying to switch insurance right now, but once I get that figured out I'll have a doctor take a closer look at it and inquire about a biopsy. thanks!

If anyone else has other ideas, I'd love to hear them, though!

I so love AskMe.
posted by AthenaPolias at 9:18 PM on May 25, 2007

Hey I have one of those too! It doesn't bother me and it's quite small and out of the way, so I never worried about it. Some of these answers sound plausible, but if it isn't bothering you, and your doc says it ain't skin cancer, don't worry about it.
posted by Caper's Ghost at 9:19 PM on May 25, 2007

I just want say I like the question title. Other than that, I've got nothing.
posted by kisch mokusch at 9:32 PM on May 25, 2007 [1 favorite]

Seconding what bodega said.

I had something similar on my shin for about 10 years until I had it removed. The dermatologist thought it was a dermatofibroma but couldn't say for sure. He pronounced it "suspicious" and sent it for biopsy. That was enough for my insurance company to cover it.
posted by weebil at 9:41 PM on May 25, 2007

I've got a couple of those. One I've had since high school, where a tick had been hanging out near my ankle. The other appeard on my forearm a week after a road trip. I asked my brother-in-law, who is a doctor, about it a couple weeks ago and he said it was dermatofibroma.
posted by notsnot at 5:19 AM on May 26, 2007

You don't have to wait for a doctor to remove it, but you do forgo the option of getting it biopsied.
posted by Mr. Gunn at 7:56 AM on May 26, 2007

I have one on my shin, and one on my arm...the one on my arm has shrunk quite a bit, though, now it's almost gone. I'm 98% sure that they appeared after I was bitten by a particularly vicious type of mosquito in Morocco.

Anyway, description of them matches yours exactly, but you didn't mention the diameter. The diameter of the one on my leg is 1/8".
posted by Liosliath at 8:26 AM on May 26, 2007

you didn't mention the diameter

"red bump, about 1/2 centimeter in diameter."
posted by oats at 9:06 AM on May 26, 2007

I've got two of those Dermatofibroma thingies on my left leg. It's a good reminder to never pick at a zit.
posted by KokuRyu at 9:10 AM on May 26, 2007

All I have to add is do not click 'Images' on the Google link bodega posted. I did, and really, really wish I hadn't.
posted by essexjan at 6:30 AM on May 27, 2007

Thanks, oats, what would I do without you?
posted by Liosliath at 7:11 PM on May 27, 2007