raised bump on stomach

[penguingirl]

I have a small raised bump on my stomach, near my navel.  Most of the time it's just a flat, slightly reddish spot, but every few months  it fills up with a small amount of blood, like a blood blister.  It doesn't have any pus or other fluid in it.  It usually lasts for a week or so then it clears up again.  It doesn't hurt or itch or anything.  It has a somewhat irregular shape.

I showed it to my GP doctor at my last physical, but it was in its "flat" stage and so he didn't think it was anything.  He said it might be an ingrown hair.  It's right near where the elastic on my underwear sits, so he said that might irritate the skin.

Would a cancerous growth "come and go" like this bump?  Or is it more likely that it's a cyst or ingrown hair?   I am a female, age 30, red hair, light skinned, lots of freckles.  However, my stomach has never been sun burned because I don't usually wear two piece bathing suits.  My family does not have a history of skin cancer.  

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

One thing about skin cancer is that it does not come and go--it comes and stays, and grows.  Your bump is indeed most likely a cyst--cysts fill up and drain internally, which would explain the fluctuation you see.  If your doctor couldn't see much of anything, that's strong evidence that all is OK.  If you're not sure, perhaps a visit to a skin doctor for a full-body check might be a good idea, just to get a sense of your level of risk, given your light skin and red heair.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[kdka]

A related discussion, rubbery skin bump? not growing? was started.