Raised, red spots on chest, elbow and knees.

[Heathersmiles]

My class took a field trip to the pool to talk about how the water can be used for therapy. One of my classmates had quarter size, raised, red spots on his chest, (the spots are on his sternum and directly under is chest) and the inside of his elbow, (where the humorous meets the radius and ulna) and the back of his knees. I asked him about the spots, and he said he had been to the doctor and the doctor just gave him some cream to put on and said this will clear it up. Which it had not. He is now in the process of finding a new doctor that will hopefully be able to diagnosis him. My classmate is overweight, so you think this has something to do with the amount of sweat that accumulates in those areas. Or is this a type of fungus or a type of egsemua?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

There are many possibilities, from eczema to fungus.  Hopefully, his new doctor will be able to clear him up.  He's almost certainly not contagious.  



Best.



Dr. Rockoff



PS The bone in the upper arm is the "humerus."