Is this a wart?

[dermaquery]

What IS this monster? [url]http://SSL7.com/users/dermaquery[/url] ...a wart?

I'm a 43 y/o caucasian male with this 1 cm bump growing slowly on the crown of my head for at least 1 year. I have 4 or 5 similar bumps on other areas of my scalp but they're all 5 mm or smaller.

I'm pretty sure it's a wart but I'm self-employed without medical insurance so I was hoping you might confirm my layman diagnosis from the photographs and recommend an OTC topical treatment that won't damage my hair (at least not permanently).

If removal is the best solution, would you please tell me what a typical fee might be?

Thank you very much for sharing your valuable time and knowledge in this forum.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

It could be a wart, or perhaps a mole--I can't tell from the photo.  My best guess is that it could be removed in one visit.  The fee might be $1-200.  I don't recommend any over-the-counter treatments, since we don't know what you're treating. If it is a wart, and the doctor takes it off, you should suffer no permanent hair loss.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[dermaquery]

http://SSL7.com/users/dermaquery

[dermaquery]

I appreciate your professional opinion but I must say that I'm surprised to hear:
.
     a.) 20x and 400x microscopic photos are inconclusive
.
     b.) a 1cm PINK lesion with "tentacles" could be a mole
.
I thought the primary characteristic of moles was their concentration of melanin, e.g. dark(er) coloration.(?)