Skin lump

I have a lump on the outside of my right nostril. It started out very small but over the years has grown. It is mostly flesh colored and reddish.  Lately it has begun to hurt with a burning sensation. Does a doctor normal  cut part of your nose off for this? That would look very horrible afterwards with one side of your nose gone. Do doctors just freeze it off or lazer it down to the surface of the skin?

Thanks

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
I cannot confirm anything without examination, but it can be a sebaceous cyst or HPV wart. A sebaceous cyst is a closed sac occurring just under the skin which contains a "pasty" or "cheesy" looking substance called keratin.Warts are transmitted by sex and even by touching the genitals of someone during vaginal, anal and oral sex with an infected partner or by sharing clothes and towels of an infected person.

For sebaceous cysts,no treatment is required but they become painful then it means they are infected,Then surgical excision by traditional wide excision, minimal excision, and punch biopsy excision may be required.For the warts,depending on the size and site of warts,various modalities like topical solutions and immune response modifiers,cryotherapy,electrocautery and laser surgery can be tried.

I think that a dermatologist’s evaluation is the best. Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing.Kind regards.