large red mass, 4 months and counting

I'm a 23 year old small female and shave regularly (sporadically as of late.) I have a red lump under my right armpit. It started about the size that it is now, about 1" wide, and pretty flat. At its worst, red as an infected zit, it grew to about 2" in diameter and about 1/4-1/2" raised from my skin. It has never been very painful. I talked to the pharmacist about it shortly after it started and she told me to use Gold Bond cream. I applied it 2x daily for the last few months and it has reduced to the original size and is starting to fade in color. At this point, several months later, the Gold Bond has made it very dry and VERY itchy. For the last month or so, I'm mixing anti-itch cream with it because it itches HORRIBLY. I can't stand it!

It seems to me that it's getting better, but this has been going on for months. Now the new year has come and I have medical insurance for the first time which I don't even know how to use, finding a doc and all that jazz. Is this something to worry about? Should I just keep it ultra-moisturized and finish my regimen with Gold Bond? I'm almost out of the large squeeze bottle. Or could this actually be an issue?? I mean, it's my armpit!

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it looks like an infected cyst, carbuncle or abscess or hidradenitis supprativa lesion. Apply warm compresses on the lumps and keep the area clean. Topical antiseptic treatment and topical antibiotics such as mupirocin or neomycin containing ointment is very useful. If still the lumps persist then specific treatment like antibiotics,vit A supplements, corticosteroid injections, isotretinoin, antiandrogens and sometimes excision and drainage ,laser therapy and radiotherapy are found useful.I feel that you should consult a dermatologist and discuss these options with him.

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.

[JBlix]

I've been curious about another area that reminds me of the red lump under my arm. I have a small, very dry round patch of skin on my pelvic bone. It's off to the side, closer to my hip and I assumed when it started that my panty or jeans had rubbed against it, although it's not entirely on the bone. So when it first started, I kept the moisturizing cream from my tattoo-healing-process on it and it went away for a while. It's hard to notice because it never grew large, but come to think of it, I can't remember how long it's been there; I can only remember that it seemed to go away for a little while after I put the cream on it. Could it be related? Or was my first instinct on the right track?

[JBlix]

I went to the MinuteClinic and the doctor who specializes in dermatology believes it's fungal. She found it most notable that the Gold Bond MADE it dry, and that it's a very defined circle. She said something about the underneath area that it was in good condition, that it's a surface problem, not deeply embedded. I can't remember exactly what she said, that was a process of elimination point of interest.

She showed me an OTC antifungal cream and read the instructions. The box says to either use it once daily for 4 weeks, or twice daily for one. She instructed me to use it twice daily for two weeks. If it doesn't go away, I'll need to visit another doctor for a scraping, as it could be yeast. I'm not sure what that means.

The second circle on my hip is what I had expected, just a dry spot from rubbing against my clothes, maybe even a belt. So a good moisturizer will make it go away and stay away.

I've had an "issue" with perspiring for years; basically, I don't. It takes long exposure to extreme heat or intense physical excessive for me to perspire, and it's minimal at most. My sister and fiancee both have the other extreme and I've only gotten jealous remarks about it. This leads me to another concern: if there's no moisture under my arms, how would a fungal or yeast problem develop? I don't wear antiperspirant except when I expect to sweat, but it's very cold in Ohio right now and I haven't perspired since last summer.

Dr. Kaur, if there's no moisture, am I on the right track with an antifungal cream?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It is true that the armpits because of dark and humid conditions is very often a good breeding ground for fungus. But since the rash is dry it can be a fungal infection if chronic in nature or the possibility of eczema is also there. I would suggest you to get a KOH examination of the skin scrapings done and if it comes positive then a fungal culture done tgo confirm the diagnosis as fungal infection.

I sincerely hope it helps. Take care and regards.