Red/brown spots on back - Not itchy or sore

Good day,

For about a year I've had these red/brown spots all over my back and buttocks. They would appear and disappear randomly, but recently they've gotten larger and spread to my chest.

Here is a picture of my back: http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/9920/cimg2067n.jpg

I had no idea these spots were present until they were pointed out to me when I had my shirt off. They don't hurt and they don't itch, but they are slightly raised and they have a different texture than the rest of my skin.

Any help or information regarding this would be greatly appreciated. Unfortunately I don't have health insurance so until I find a decent free clinic with a good dermatology department I'm relying on your help. Thanks in advance!

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms the possibility of hives needs to be ruled out. Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes. They have a tendency to change size rapidly and to move around, disappearing in one place and reappearing in other places, often in a matter of hours.
The mainstay of treatment of hives is antihistamine like Benadryl which may be necessary for prolonged periods (in excess of 6 weeks). Short courses of oral cortisone or steroids are taken for short periods (one to three days) to settle more severe symptoms. Your daughter may take Vitamin C along with the prescribed treatment. Vitamin C is a general anti-allergy supplement. It helps stabilize mast cells so they are less likely to release histamine.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.