leg rash/ulcer keeps coming back

Back in the Fall my 9 year old daughter was playing outside. The next day she had about 5 red bumps that started mid calf up to her upper thigh. It looked like a bug had munched its way up. They itched and we applied benadryl gel.  A week later they then became bubbles with clear fluid. They now looked like poisin ivy. We applied calmine lotion.  This seemed to work and reduce the sites which had now expanded in size-ie more bubbles. We thought maybe it is infected. We applied neosporine.  It stoppedworking. We visted the Dr. who took a culture and gave us super cortizone cream. He said the largest section that was yellow and crusty was healed. The culture came back negative and the bumps almost went away.  Dr. received an oral antibiotic and a cream with cortizone and a little fungil killing stuff.  Says it is sort of staf infection.  Again they almost go away, she finished her antibiotic and a few days later-they were back.  Back to the Dr.  does another culture and gives us strong soap to wash the area, and tells us to apply lotrimine.  He thinks it is a fungal thing.  This helps. The culture comes back negative.We go to suny Fla. and the sun and salt water seem to help.  It is almost gone! Back home-its baaaaack.  The area below her knee is now the size of a half dollar with the other 4 spots expanding.  She is in tears and the dermatologiest cant see her for weeks. She is an anxious child so this might be contributing to the flare ups.  The areas are very dry and itchy. When anything, even soft rubs up against it the bubbles swell up. We have tried covering with bandaids but that eventually fails. The pictures I have looked at look like eczema or topical dermetitis.  She is adopted from China so I dont know her birth family skin or allergy history. She had an allergy to ketsup when she was 1-2 but has out grown it. She also had an allergy to cows milk and has had soy since she was adopted. Please help!

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Whatever this may have been at first, now it sounds like eczema.  This means that it's a rash that comes and goes.  It does not sound like an infection, which does not come and go, not bacteria and not fungus.  I suggest you call the dermatologist and ask for a refill of the cortisone cream that was prescribed before, so you can use it while you're waiting for the appointment.  This is an annoying condition, not a serous one.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff