Mysterious Red Dots Appearing -- Getting Me Worried

[jc62]

OK.  A couple weeks ago I noticed some white raised dots on the back of my right hand, just a few from my wrist toward my ring finger.  The next day thee were some on the back of my left hand.  Since then, they have gone down and look more like freckles.  During that time, pinhead sized bright red dots appeared sparsely on my forearms and a few on my chest.  The other day, a larger one, raised, oblong like a grain of rice and about the size of a finish nail head appeared on my thigh, a little above my knee.  More appeared on my chest, other leg, and a few on my groin.  They are all bright, cherry red and apparently do not itch.  None are on my genitals (so far!).  They do not appear to be associated with hair folicules as they are located between them.  I do have freckles and occasional moles, but they were around as far back as I can remember and haven't been increasing in number really.  I am in my mid-40s, am fair skinned and my legs get no sun as I always wear long pants.  I had a decent physical several years back.  They did find a slightly elevated ALT level.  The usual battery of blood tests (hepititis, liver function, ...) showed nothing to worry about and I was told it was probably a fatty liver.  I wasn't jaundiced anyway.  I did drink a couple glasses of wine with dinner fairly regularly except when ill ever since my dad died of a heart attack.   But I stopped that in case it was part of this problem.  The other things that occurred to me are that I was handling pressure-treated lumber (in other owrds, arsenic) recently and I started using a new shower installed in our renovation.  Could this just be stress related?  I am very stressed over it.  Again, they do not itch.  I read too much on the internet and started worrying about HIV, diabetes, and every pther possible ailment.  From what I have read on here so far, it looks like I might be a big worry wart and I am impressed with this site.  I did call a 24-hour nurse and she said to just apply hydrocortisone cream.  They don't itch, so I don't know what that accomplishes.

Here are some photos of some of them.

Leg (3mmx2mm): http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o9/jc62/leg.jpg
Leg (same one): http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o9/jc62/leg2.jpg
Groin: http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o9/jc62/groin.jpg
Arm (the tiny ones): http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o9/jc62/arm.jpg

Since I am here, I also have had a scaly slightly raised yellow-tanish thing on my right thigh for some time now.  It is about 5-6mm in diameter and irregular.  I didn't worry about cancer there since I never get sun on my legs.  But not sure what the heck it might be.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o9/jc62/legold.jpg

Any help would be very much appreciated.  I am having a hard time getting a medical appointment and, in the meantime, would love anything that is more credible than my possibly paranoid interpretations of web disease fact sheets.

Thanks, in advance for any help!

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Could be a virus.  Could be an allergic reaction to something (inside you, not external), though that's unlikely.  Please stop reading the internet and worrying about HIV, etc.  You need to be examined and tested as needed.  Please arrange this as soon as you can, to allay your anxiety if nothing else.

Sorry I can't be more specific.

Dr. Rockoff

[ryn21]

First of all, stay off of the internet seeking answers to what your condition is related to.  The internet does no more than send you into an emotional mess.  I know, I went through it too.  There are many things that could have caused these red spots, far more common than HIV.  I would have a health care provider check the spots up close to give you a proper diagnosis.  The Derm in this forum does look at posted photos, so hopefully he will be able to give you some better answers.  In the meantime, stop looking on the internet.

[jc62]

Thank you for your comment, intermediate to a dermatologist's view.  I know you are right and this is probably something else anyway.  Hopefully, I can get into a doctor's office soon.  The emergency room would not be a good idea, but an abuse of that system and expensive to me at that.  But that won't be until sometime next week and hopefully a dermatologist will show up to give me a few words.  I sure hope it is not HIV.

[jc62]

From what I have seen, they appear to be cherry angiomas.  They also are often completely benign and occur in men after age 40.  If I understand the one worry I had, of an HIV signature maculopapular rash, such a rash requires the discoloration to extend beyond the elevated part (papule) and I don't see that.  And Kaposi's sarcoma wouldn't be like this exactly.

Perhaps too many things came together to make me a wreck.  Dry weather (and maybe a small cold that is going around) gave me a slightly sore throat.  Acid reflux that I get occasionally didn't help on another symptom in the list.   AIDS awareness in the news of course didn't help.  Had me anxiously scrambling for any sign of something serious once I saw these very different things on my body.  I never knew anxiety like this in my life and now have a much keener appreciation of what people with real worries like that go through.  I will definitely find ways to help with their cause now.  As for me, it would be nice to get a confirmation that what I have are likely those harmless angiomas.  Still need to get a physical as I am not getting younger and heart and thyroid problems run in the family.  I'll stop and just wait for a Doc to answer me.

[ryn21]

It's clearly not a maculopapular rash.  I would bet on cherry anginomas if anything. Anginomas are not harmful and can be treated.  Stop worrying about HIV.  I went through a little scare myself this time last year.  All those commercials drove my anxiety through the roof.  Stop worrying (you dont have HIV because of these red spots (anginomas)) and wait for the doctors response.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

It is not cherry angiomas--they do not look like that or erupt in this manner.  And they certainly aren't Kaposi's sarcoma.

Dr. Rockoff

[jc62]

Thanks for the replies.  I am not sure if I should be more scared or not.  I will get in to see a physician as soon as I can, hopefully later in the week.  They are sparsely distributed and noticeable because I looked for them.  I would have sworn they were cherry angiomas but that is why I asked for a doctor's opinion.  Kaposi's sarcoma being ruled out is a huge relief.  I would have been surprised by that anyway but still was a huge worry as even a possibility.  I very much appreciate the feedback.  You folks are great.  Anything else encouraging?  The allergy angle might be something as I do recall a histamine attack (sinus area was all itchy) days ago.  Sure wish it was easier to get a medical appointment these days.  A dermatologist wait is long and even getting in for a physical before the end of the year is tough.

[jc62]

I have seen a doc and I have molluscum contagiosum on my face, neck, arms, hands, thigh, and groin.  Don't see any on my genetils.  Is it common to have it widespread like that and not my HIV?  I am going for testing tomorrow morning.

[mickeric]

I have a patch of red dots on my thigh right now.  They seem@to keep coming.  They look like zits Ihave had on my leg before, and at first I thought that is all it was. They are not really painful, the first day or so it felt like it pinched in the area when I walked.  That has stopped.  They also are not overly itchy, but it has happened.  It seems the more I think about it the worse it is.  It seems there is not a strong concentration anywhere else on my body.  There also seems to be a large patch of hair that is missing in the area, I am thinking maybe due to friction during a recent sexual encounter.  I have had these dots for around 1 week now, and they seem to look like a zit for a few days, then die and fade like most other zits do.  What is it?  I am afraid it is herpes...

I had protected sex with a girl ‚X days ago, and the day after I noticed the zits. She says she does not have anything, and has only been with one other guy.  I did not see anything wrong with her.  I really hope its not herpes, but i think it is.

Thanks if anyone can help me.

[Demar]

Hey, i have a zit/pimple on my penis and i was wondering if it could be herpes.  I am a little worried and havent seemed to be getting any of the symptoms, such as headaches, pain when i urinate, or flu like symptoms. Do i have herpes?