ANY OTHER TEST

HELLO I AM A 23 YEAR OLD BLACK FEMELE WHO HAS NEVER BEEN ON ANY
MEDICATION OR HAS HAD ANY MEDICAL PROBLEMS. NOV.1,1997 I DROVE FROM GA. TO CA. I HAD A SHOWER WHEN I FINISHED I NOTICE THESE RED SPOTS ON THE BACK OF MY RIGHT LEG. I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A RASH OR SOMETHING,HOWEVER WITHIN TWO WEEKS IT HAD SPREAD ALL OVER MY LEGS AND ON THE BACK OF MY ARMS. THESE SPOTS HAVE GOTTON A LITTLE BIGGER AND SOMETIMES THEIR RED THEN BROWM. I.VE SEEN SOME OF THEM GO AWAY AND COME BACK. IT LOOKS LIKE BLOOD UNDER MY SKIN THEY DON'T HURT SOMETIMES THERE SORE. AT THIS TIME THEY ARE A BROWNISH RED COLOR. I'VE BEEN SEEING A MILITARY DERMATOLIGST AND I BELIEVE HE IS FAIRLY NEW TO THE BASE (MILITARY) HE SAID THAT HE HAS NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE. I'VE HAD SEVERAL BLOOD TEST (BLEEDING, PLATLETS,LUPUS,) THE FINAL TEST WAS A SKIN BIOSPY AND THAT CAME BACK AS BASAL HYPERPIGMENTATION,BUT THE QUESTION IS WHAT IS CAUSING THE HYPERPIGMENTATION ALSO MAYBE A LATE STAGE OF PHYTOPHOTODERMATITIS, I'VE SEEN PICTURES OF THAT AND IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE IT.I WAS ON DEPO PROVERA FOR A WHILE AND GOT OFF TO SEE
IF IT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND IT HAS NOT. ARE THERE ANY OTHER TEST THAT I CAN TAKE? THE DOCTOR IS OPEN FOR IDEAS TOO BE-CAUSE HE WANTS TO KNOW. PLEASE RESPOND. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. GJ

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Gina:

I sympathize with your problem, but unfortunately there isn't very much I can add.  Photodermatitis seems unlikely, given that so much of the problem is on your legs.  As for hyperpigmetation, any rash on dark skin can leave that, so it doesn't tell you much.

I would advise your dermatologist to send you to an acdemic medical center for consultation, if this is at all feasible.

For what it's worth, I'd say this sounds like something which affects the skin, but has no internal implications.

Good luck.

Dr. R