Round spot on breast; not going away

[ked00]

I am a 27 year old female and have had a spot (2 cm in diameter) just under my areola for over a month now. It started out pinkish red and now sometimes looks light brown. It has not yet oozed, bled, hurt, crusted, felt warm or anything...it's just there. Some times it looks like it might go away but then it never does. My primary care dr. said it didn't look or feel suspicious but sent me to a dermatologist just in case. This dermatologist gave me Pandel cream and told me not to worry, said it looked like an infection that was "burning out". How long could an infection really last though? I have applied the cream twice a day for a little over a week and it has not gotten rid of the spot. I am going to see a different dermatologist today because I am worrying myself sick about Inflammatory Breast Cancer. What else could this be? How fast does IBC normally progress? ANY help you can give me would be extrememly appreciated.

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear ked00:  Skin on the breast is like skin on any part of the body and is subject to developing skin abnormalities.  There are many types of dermatitis (skin inflammation) that can appear anywhere on the skin.  These types of skin irritations can take time, and sometimes various topical agents to resolve and it can take a long time for all the discoloration to resolve.  Conversely, inflammatory breast cancer usually presents as a red, hot, swollen breast.  The irritation of the skin does not resolve and would usually  become worse over time.  A skin biopsy is usually needed to confirm the diagnosis.  Without the ability to examine the area, we are not in a position to speculate on the cause of your skin abnormality.  Since you are concerned, a second opinion with another dermatologist seems reasonable.  Another option would be to see a breast specialist (many large academic medical centers have these) for a thorough breast examination.  At that point, any additional tests could be recommended based on the clinical picture.

[ked00]

I forgot to add that I have breast implants...is there any way they could be causing this?
Thank you in advance for your help.