Dr Hive - old red mark which has flared up

[Annie]

Maybe a year and a half ago or so, my LO got a red raised bump type mark maybe the size of a dime on the lowest part of his back, just above his bottom. It wasn't warm like it was infected or anything, and over a few days in went down to a smaller pink mark. He reacts strongly to bug bites (they often take weeks - a month to go away completely) so I thought that was what it probably was and didn't think much of it. However, the little pink mark has stayed there all this time. About eight months or so ago the spot got slightly inflamed again. It went right back down, and it didn't seem to bother him at all. I think we had just been to the doctor for something or other (maybe it was just a well child visit?), and I didn't want to be the crazy first time mom who came in for nothing, so I watched it, and it went back down to "normal" in a couple days.

 

Well, today it flared up again, and I have no idea what to make of it. He's had a wet, productive cough for two months. He isn't coughing very often, but it has been consistent. I took him to the doctor after about 4 weeks of coughing. His lungs sounded fine, and his pulse ox was perfect. The doctor ran a blood panel, and she said she couldn't tell if it was a virus or bacterial by the results. We guessed it was just a virus on top of another virus because we had been doing a lot of plane travel. She told me to bring him back if he was still coughing after a couple of weeks. I took him back in last Friday, and we decided to put him on a course of antibiotics to give it a try since it had been so long, and she said it looked like he had some congestion in his sinuses that could be harboring an infection. It's an antibiotic that is only given for five days with a double dose the first day, and he's has the first two days of it so far. He's seemed pretty grouchy the last couple days, but I figured that the antibiotics were probably making him feel a bit off.

 

Do you think this red mark flaring up could be related to him being sick or the antibiotics? I can't remember if he was sick at all when the bump first appeared or when it flared up last time. What the heck could this be? Should I call the doctor tomorrow morning even though we were just there on Friday?

[Harriet Vane]

There is a type of cyst that can occur in that spot. I don't remember the name of it. However, my brother-in-law had one. Over time his got really large and he had a minor, outpatient surgery to remove it. It was a small problem and totally benign, but the wound care after removal was delicate. Take him to the dr, but I would bet it's a cyst and can be remedied.

[Barb_]

Staph is another possibility. I have a several spots (not as large) that sometimes pop up repeatedly, usually when I am sick with something else. Some go away entirely; others leave a mark between flareups. Mention it to his doctor when you take him for his recheck. I'd be curious to here what he had to say.

[Annie]

Thanks ladies. It's back down to normal this morning. Looking at it now, it's more the size of a pencil eraser, but it isn't uniformly round. When it's not inflamed, the skin isn't raised at all in the area. It just looks like a little tan/pink blemish.

[RoughCollie]

Next time he goes to the doctor, ask him to look at it. It might be a pilonidal cyst. I think that is what Harriet Vane was referring to. I don't know why my link won't post properly. Google pilonidal cyst Mayo Clinic.

[Harriet Vane]

Next time he goes to the doctor, ask him to look at it. It might be a pilonidal cyst. I think that is what Harriet Vane was referring to. I don't know why my link won't post properly. Google pilonidal cyst Mayo Clinic.

 

:iagree: That's the correct term. Thanks.