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Dermatology (Expert Forum)
Bump and Red Dot on 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.
Bump and Red Dot on Nose
by JoeGahona, Jan 04, 2004 12:00AM
I am 29, I have very fair skin, and I had an absolutely vicious second-degree sunburn when I was about 10 (horrible blisters all over my shoulders).
Last October, I went to the dermatologist for a spot on my temple that had been there for three years. He took a biopsy and it turned out to be basal-cell carcinoma. I had it removed a couple of weeks later via Mohs surgery.
I went for a follow-up visit and full-body exam in early December. During this visit, I notified the dermatologist of a red dot on my nose (to the left of the bridge, on the middle). It looked like a tiny blackhead that wouldn't heal (but it never bled or oozed), and I told him I'd noticed it for four weeks. Also, the skin around it is slightly raised, as though there's a small but hard bump under the skin.
As I said, my dermatologist saw it in early December, and he gave me acne pads to try on it. He seemed perplexed but not at all concerned or alarmed, and he told me to come back in four weeks if it hadn't gone away. It has not gone away, the bump might be getting bigger, and the area around the red dot is now becoming pink/red. I tried to make an appointment a couple of weeks later, but I couldn't get one with him until late February, and I'm extremely worried that his refusal to take a biopsy in December will prove to have been a very foolish oversight.
Could this be anything other than cancer? I am calling around to every dermatologist trying to get an earlier appointment. I know that having BCC on my temple probably made me hyperaware of everything, but I can't for the life of me figure out what else this could be, or why the dermatologist would waste any time not finding out for himself. I know you're not a mind reader and can't tell me what my derm's motives are, but do you have any insight on this situation or my condition? I
am losing a lot of sleep over this; I have seen some horrific picures of the results of nose-cancer surgeries, and as I said, I'm only 29.
Thank you. I would really appreciate your opinion.
Last October, I went to the dermatologist for a spot on my temple that had been there for three years. He took a biopsy and it turned out to be basal-cell carcinoma. I had it removed a couple of weeks later via Mohs surgery.
I went for a follow-up visit and full-body exam in early December. During this visit, I notified the dermatologist of a red dot on my nose (to the left of the bridge, on the middle). It looked like a tiny blackhead that wouldn't heal (but it never bled or oozed), and I told him I'd noticed it for four weeks. Also, the skin around it is slightly raised, as though there's a small but hard bump under the skin.
As I said, my dermatologist saw it in early December, and he gave me acne pads to try on it. He seemed perplexed but not at all concerned or alarmed, and he told me to come back in four weeks if it hadn't gone away. It has not gone away, the bump might be getting bigger, and the area around the red dot is now becoming pink/red. I tried to make an appointment a couple of weeks later, but I couldn't get one with him until late February, and I'm extremely worried that his refusal to take a biopsy in December will prove to have been a very foolish oversight.
Could this be anything other than cancer? I am calling around to every dermatologist trying to get an earlier appointment. I know that having BCC on my temple probably made me hyperaware of everything, but I can't for the life of me figure out what else this could be, or why the dermatologist would waste any time not finding out for himself. I know you're not a mind reader and can't tell me what my derm's motives are, but do you have any insight on this situation or my condition? I
am losing a lot of sleep over this; I have seen some horrific picures of the results of nose-cancer surgeries, and as I said, I'm only 29.
Thank you. I would really appreciate your opinion.
Doctor's Answer
by Alan Rockoff, MD, Jan 05, 2004 12:00AM
, Jan 05, 2004 12:00AM
Actually, I think your dermatologist was quite right. Most nasal bumps are just pimples or clogged pores, even in people who have had basal ell cancers. The best approach in such cases is to wait. Basal cells grow very slowly, so waiting a couple of months is not a bad thing, just as long as the spot gets looked at by then. Taking a biopsy in December would have been poor judgment on two grounds: it would almost certainly have been negative and it may well have left a scar, because the nose is unforgiving. My approach would have been the same--apply topical therapy and re-examine. I understand your anxiety, but my advise would be to chill a bit longer, to absolutely not pick, rub, or examine the spot, and to show the doctor at your next appointment. Of course, if you want to see someone sooner and are able to do this, fine, but it would also be OK to wait for the first dermatologist.
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
