Bump? maybe

[miishay]

I developed a blister like bump on the middle of the backside of my elbow. I popped the blister and it just stayed and grew a little bigger and was sore to the touch. It was not a rison, it just started to scab up so I don't know. But now I am getting another one on the same spot opposite arm. What in the world? they start out really small as a blister and sore and then just over a period of 1-2 weeks scab up and that's it. What is this?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
I cannot confirm anything without examination but it can be herpes blisters. Most individuals have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. When signs do occur, they typically appear as one or more blisters. The blisters break, leaving tender ulcers (sores) that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time they occur. Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first outbreak.

The only way of ruling it out is by getting yourself tested for herpes. Laboratory tests include: culture of the virus, direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) studies to detect virus, skin biopsy, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to test for presence of viral DNA. I sincerely advise you to consult a dermatologist and get it ruled out. I hope it helps. Take care and please do keep me posted in case you have any additional doubts. Kind regards.