random, long straight red lines:appear/disappear all over body, no fever or illness at all.

[dawnintexas]

16y/o has lines/rashes/ began 8/1/07. no change diet/laundry soap. Began as a small red line, midline from navel, extend up 6 in. NO fever, itching, allergies, or illness.  
In addition to the main red line, she would have multiple smaller lines on her abdomen that looked as though they were bear-claw marks. These lines would just show up in all different directions. They would appear and disappear as you watch. 3 pedi, 2 NASA docs, and 3 derms state "I don't know what this is!"Atarax/Claritin have no effect. blood work is normal. no change in eating.No travel out of country. no barefoot ever. They do not itch at all. Is NOT dermatographism (checked for that). PLEASE HELP ME!  

[nitroted]

A related discussion, Appearing and disappearing red lines,spots was started.

[calgirl123]

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[bigred050]

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[sandie7058]

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[kkneedsadvice]

I've just started getting small raised like lines on my lower stomache and they almost look like cat scratches but its impossible that's what they are.. I'm pretty young.. 17 and so I'm kind of wiggen out. Any advice?

[susan759]

A related discussion, red streaks out of nowhere in places over the boey was started.

[gemtonic]

I forgot to add that this has been happening on and off for about 4 months.  I have tried to revise my diet, thinking that it was an allergy, but it doesn't seem to matter.  They just come and go as they please.  

[gemtonic]

I am having these long red lines as well (in fact, i came here hoping to find an answer).  They sting when the first pop up, turn into red skinny raised lines, and later get a little bit scabby. There is always one that is very long, and a few smaller ones around it- going in the same direction. It almost looks like someone scratched me with the head of a nail or something thin.  I have gotten them on the tops of my feet, my arms, inside of thigh, and right now, I have one about 1.5 feet (yes, feet) on my back going from the top of my shoulder blade, all the way down to my lower back, with smaller ones surrounding it.  I do have a few medical issues (insulin resistance, thyroid disease, and un-explained back pain which is currently being addressed), but when I show my doctor, she thinks that I am scratching myself in my sleep.  With this last 'episode'  however, I am completely incapable of reaching my back with my fingernails in such a way that would cause these marks.  It is weird, and it freaks me out because of the other health issues I have--they just appear out of nowhere!  

[ivegotsunshine]

I have the same issue! I'll just be sitting somewhere, walking around.. whatever when i'll look down at my hand/arm/whatever and tons of red lines will have appeared. They appear for a minute, and while i'm staring at them.. just disappear. My mom thought I was just scratching myself for the longest time whenever i'd tell her about it. Finally I was able to show her one day when she was there when it happened. She was thinking parasites....weird vein problems...
But the marks don't follow the veins, and i've been tested many times and nothing is wrong with me.
It doesn't really hurt, it just gets a funny feeling when it happens. Doctor's don't really know what to tell me because it doesn't happen all the time (so I can't make it happen to show them) and they've never really heard of the issue before.
It doesn't really bother me too much, it doesn't effect my day-to-day activites. Since it doesn't hurt or make me sick i've just decided to ignore it. When it happens, I just look at it, and watch it disappear in a few seconds. What else can you do? My boyfriend and i joke that a ghost is attacking me.... but really, if it's not hurting me.... It's not that bad of a problem. Just weird!

[jsuzanne]

What kind of disability does she have?  Maybe this is related to the disability?

[dawnintexas]

Hi TessLea, thank you for the feedback......however, 3 derms have tested her for that and say she doesn't have it.  it's just the absolute weirdest thing we've ever seen........along with hearing 10 docs tell me "I've never seen this". Today, I picked her up from school, and within about 20 minutes, red lines appeared on her left arm and palm. She has told me the lines are getting less and less. She said they no longer "tingle" when they appear. We've just gone abolutely crazy over this. more and more, I keep telling myself that once her 'hormone' cycle settles down, the lines will too. She says they dont' itch at all and i know for certain she's not rubbing or causing the lines. One day, I kept her in my office with me at the computer, and in one hour, hundreds (literally) showed up down her legs and disappeared within about 20 seconds. They just come and go. It bothers me to think this could be some weird form of virus or exposure to some foreign chemical or something like that. But, she's disabled, and never goes anywhere without me.  She completely dependent on me.  I"m just worried. thankyou again for answering me back. and yes, I'm in the Houston area. I'd never leave Texas, just love it too much.......humidy and all! dawn

[TessLea]

http://allergies.about.com/od/urticariahives/a/dermatographism.htm

[TessLea]

Is she rubbing or scratching the place in which the lines appear.  I can run a nail across my arm or anything for that matter and a long straight raised line with appear.  Sometimes itches sometimes not.  Look up ' exercise induced rashes'  if you keep reading through the links there is one that talks about skin writing.  Yes, sounds crazy but it really does.  I am otherwise normal except for being diagnosed with exercise induced urticaria, of course I have all sorts of allergies and asthma as well.

You might want to look into the skin writing thing.  Good luck, I am in Texas as well Austin area.

[dawnintexas]

all my daughter's labs are normal, parasite stool is neg., they took a "skin" biopsy from her abdomen where the red lines keep appearing/diasppering and that was neg too.  We are going absolutely crazy over this. I took her to an allergist and he said "sorry, iv'e been doing this 23 years and i've never seen anything like this in my life". So far, 9 physicians have seen her........they personally have watched the lines appear/disappear right before their eyes.  EVERY ONE OF THEM SAY "I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS, THIS IS STRANGE"
this goes on ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT. i've removed just about anything that could be a "trigger".........removed all perfumes, all fabric softner, etc............antihistamines are complete ineffective. I did find something onthe internet called "progesterone autoimmunne dermatitis". anyone heard of this.

[inflamed]

It sounds like a parasite. Ask your doc to excise and look under a microscope.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Corry, but I really don't have anything to add, except to say that I don't think that the alarm in your post is necessary.  I can't even think of any serious conditions that present the way you've described.  When people get funny, unexplainable rashes, I advise them to wait things out and see what happens.  What generally happens is that the rashes disappear as mysteriously as they came.  I advise you as well to wait a few weeks, and revisit the question with a dermatologist if it's still there.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff