Skin Disorder?

My boyfriend lately has been getting large, raised bumps all over his body which itch like crazy.
He is african american, and these bumps become darker than his skin, almost a darker brown/purple and are sometimes scaly. It seems to be affecting his chest, arms, back, legs, but not his face. They also tend to cluster together and get darker the more he scratches them.
His doctor has given him a cream for the itch which as far as i can remember is fluoridine 0.05%, but it seems to be doing nothing but soothe the itch.
We have no idea what it is or how to get rid of it! He says he had something similar when he was younger, but it was not as bad and didn't last as long. He is now 20 if that makes a difference.

It has been almost 2 years now that he's had these.
If anyone has any suggestions, possible diagnoses, anything that would be great!
Thanks!

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it can be contact dermatitis, allergic reaction, hives, psoriasis or eczema. Since the rash has been present for 2 years, I suggest you to get an evaluation done from a dermatologist for these possibilities and get a biopsy skin done.

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 dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.