red skin on hand

I had a patch of reddened skin bellow the wrist on the upper side of my arm that was an 1 and 1/4 inches long and 3/4 of an inch across. The skin was somewhat darker than what is usually seen in irritated skin but perfectly normal in texture and everything else except the redness. It didn’t itch or feel in any way different than the normal skin around it. The patch had a distinctly undefined border and it was hard to see where the actual patch began. In about 1-2 days it began to darken and turn brownish and then it faded away in a day or so. It has happened several times in the past 3-4 months. Two (1X1 inches and a smaller one) simultaneously on the upper part of the hand between the thumb and forefinger. Then after 1-2 months two, one after the other, in roughly the same place (side of the wrist). Then the last one that I described after more than a month after those. It's gone now. I plan to go to the doctor when it crops up next time but I'm wondering what could it be. I'm a 31 year old white male 6ft1 187 lb.

[PhilipRast]

????

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
For such symptoms one possibility that needs to be ruled out is of lichen planus. The exact cause of lichen planus is unknown. However, it is likely to be related to an allergic or immune reaction. The other possibility is of contact dermatitis or dermatitis skin. To confirm the diagnosis you should get an examination and a biopsy skin done from a dermatologist.

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 dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.