Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Dermatology (Expert Forum)
Painful scab on bridge of nose
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center
Brookline - MA
This forum is for questions regarding Dermatology issues, such as: skin rashes, acne, birthmarks, skin infections, rosacea, and general skin care.
Painful scab on bridge of nose
by TJV, Nov 25, 2004 12:00AM
Hello Would like your opinion and a couple of questions answered concerning a painful lesion on the bridge of my nose. The details may sound rather strange , it doesn't make logical sense to me, but it is an accurate description of the problem--.
For a period of a few weeks over a year ago i had terrible pain and pressure on my nose area. I woke up one morning and noticed it was really red and then began to scab over.I was not overly concerned and skin cancer never occured to me because the pain came before any mark -- at least any mark i had noticed.
I began putting cortisone cream on the scab and it would go away , but the scab would come back when i stopped applying the cream. My nose became so painful-- and the scab wasn't staying away so i thought i better see a dermatologist. I explained to him that the scab was usually thicker but i had been applying cortisone cream and it hadn't fully grown back-- and was very painful . I requested a biopsy but he refused. He said it was solar keratosis and froze it off.
It took over a month to heal -- was very painful throughout the healing process --and the scab is now gone . I am left with quite a hole with a ridge around it however . On one side right beside where it was frozen off there is a considerable sized red bump i didn't have until after the freezing. Also there is a white circular patch on the side of my nose, which i DID have before-- however it is increasing in size. The worst thing is the pain is not gone. . It wakes me up from sleep. If my nose does not hurt, i can make it pulsate by simply running my finger over the area . Every single time. I find this bizarre.
The dermatologist did say on a subsequent visit that he would send me to a plastic surgeon but a biopsy would leave a bad scar and i wouldn't be happy---but to let him know and he would arrange it. He also said he never had a patient with painful skin cancer and that if it was cancer, the freezing wouldn't of eliminated the scab. I am presently trying to make the decision to biopsy or not. My questions are
So would freezing eliminate a cancerous lesion and would it stay away? If the freezing eliminated the scab does this mean it had to be keratosis? And i have no worries?
If the scab is now gone-- could a biopsy of the surrounding area be false negative?
Would cortisone creme temporarly take away a cancer?
Why would a light touch to the nose initiate pain? Have you ever encountered this in your practice?
He wanted me to try predisone , as sensitivity can happen with lupus etc -- If my ANA and lupus anticoagulant is negative--- lupus is positively ruled out Correct? My pt ptt and INR are elevated however and am awaiting follow up.
Thank you---- Very fair skinned light haired blue eyed female late 20s who has spent too much time at the beach. Extensive family history of skin cancer.
For a period of a few weeks over a year ago i had terrible pain and pressure on my nose area. I woke up one morning and noticed it was really red and then began to scab over.I was not overly concerned and skin cancer never occured to me because the pain came before any mark -- at least any mark i had noticed.
I began putting cortisone cream on the scab and it would go away , but the scab would come back when i stopped applying the cream. My nose became so painful-- and the scab wasn't staying away so i thought i better see a dermatologist. I explained to him that the scab was usually thicker but i had been applying cortisone cream and it hadn't fully grown back-- and was very painful . I requested a biopsy but he refused. He said it was solar keratosis and froze it off.
It took over a month to heal -- was very painful throughout the healing process --and the scab is now gone . I am left with quite a hole with a ridge around it however . On one side right beside where it was frozen off there is a considerable sized red bump i didn't have until after the freezing. Also there is a white circular patch on the side of my nose, which i DID have before-- however it is increasing in size. The worst thing is the pain is not gone. . It wakes me up from sleep. If my nose does not hurt, i can make it pulsate by simply running my finger over the area . Every single time. I find this bizarre.
The dermatologist did say on a subsequent visit that he would send me to a plastic surgeon but a biopsy would leave a bad scar and i wouldn't be happy---but to let him know and he would arrange it. He also said he never had a patient with painful skin cancer and that if it was cancer, the freezing wouldn't of eliminated the scab. I am presently trying to make the decision to biopsy or not. My questions are
So would freezing eliminate a cancerous lesion and would it stay away? If the freezing eliminated the scab does this mean it had to be keratosis? And i have no worries?
If the scab is now gone-- could a biopsy of the surrounding area be false negative?
Would cortisone creme temporarly take away a cancer?
Why would a light touch to the nose initiate pain? Have you ever encountered this in your practice?
He wanted me to try predisone , as sensitivity can happen with lupus etc -- If my ANA and lupus anticoagulant is negative--- lupus is positively ruled out Correct? My pt ptt and INR are elevated however and am awaiting follow up.
Thank you---- Very fair skinned light haired blue eyed female late 20s who has spent too much time at the beach. Extensive family history of skin cancer.
Doctor's Answer
by Alan Rockoff, MD, Nov 28, 2004 12:00AM
, Nov 28, 2004 12:00AM
I must confess that a lot of what you describe falls out of the range of my experience. Skin cancers don't cause the kind of severe pain you say you have. You are a bit young for either a solar keratosis or s kin cancer. Also, the lesion, whatever it is, has developed a lot faster than either one of these conditions would. Cortisone cream would not remove a skin cancer. I really think that you will need a biopsy to see what the red bump you have is. I think it would be best to find out what it is before having a plastic surgeon or anyone else take it off, so they'll know how much to take. A biopsy is the only way I can think of to find out. It should be given serious consideration.
Best.
Dr. Rockoff
Best.
Dr. Rockoff
