Abnormal tentacle-like growths in moustache/beard area

[real67grl]

I am writing to ask a question on behalf of my fiance.  He is 25 years old, white male, blue eyes.  He has had other skin problems, such as acne, and also some subacute cutaenous lupus erythematosus on his cheekbones when exposed to UV.  

Anyway, my question is about the growths he is getting.  He is in prison, I just saw him yesterday, and he is not getting any good medical care.  They decided to diagnosis as "razor bumps", aka PFB, but that is not at all the case.  There are no pustules, and it is a small group of growths that has now begun to migrate, causing more growths beneath it on the chin.  It was there for maybe two years, next to the corner of his mouth, a crusty thing that would bleed whenever he shaved there, and would grow back.  Now he finally stopped shaving there, and the growths have begun to come up the same color as his skin, but they look like the moustache hairs in shape and length, like the tentacles on a squid, quite unsightly, among the whiskers.  Now there are two more small clusters, also flesh colored, on the side of the front of his chin, below.  He says they told him to stop shaving, and are going to burn it all off this week, but I feel it should be biopsied, or photographed.   This is definitely not the folliculitis in any form.  His skin is doing something really strange, and I'm concerned about him not getting a diagnosis.  He will not be home for four more months.  I have spent the day pouring over dermatology photos on the internet, trying to find books at the library and at the bookstore, and even asked his dermatologist to let me peruse his reference books, but he refused.  Can you please tell me what this could be?  The growths are approximately 1.5 mm in diameter, and growing almost the length of the moustache hairs.  They look really creepy, and I just hope it's not a cancerous thing.  He had a previous long history of very heavy drug and alcohol use, and just recently gave up a 15 year 2 pack of cigarrettes per day habit, and also just completed 6 months of antibiotics for dormant TB in the lungs.  He also has had high blood pressure, but is otherwise pretty healthy, and does weight training, etc.  He has not used any substance or alcohol in over 9 months, and was dry for 6 months before that relapse.  Please let me know if there's somewhere I can find info on this or if you know anything.  I wish I had a picture, but I could only suffice to draw an illustration. I'm a good artist.

Thank you

Sarah

[theresa ann]

Hi Sarah, I was so relived to come across your artical, because I too  have been searching for this same thing. my husband has started growing this strange looking little critters in the same places.and i have been so worried. but i am relieved to see it is something as simple. thanks theresa

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Thanks for the the feedback.  Warts are generally not caught from anyone.

Dr. Rockoff

[real67grl]

thank you for your help, you were right-on with the diagnosis.  I looked it up and that's exactly what he has, the filiform warts.  I'm wondering if he got the virus from his neice.  She has the virus pretty bad, widespread, is 7, and when he shaves and gets nicks he maybe somehow came in contact with it.  They often shared food/drinks, etc, as they used to live in the same household.  I called the prison and had them put the diagnosis in his medical file so they doctor could better help him, as they didn't seem to have any idea what it was.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Sarah:

They're probably warts, which is why the dermatologist plans to burn them off.  Warts grow out long and unsightly on the face, but they're easy to get rid of.  Don't know where they come from.  They may need to be retreated once or twice.

Ask the dermatologist if that's his diagnosis, too.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff