Large Skin Tags or Lipomas???

[lakingz]

I am male, 35 years old, 6'4", about 375lbs. I have gained and lost weight over the past 15 years. I was around the 450lbs. mark and found my focus and thirst for life again and am on the way down, 6 months and counting. I have two rather large growths on my upper left leg for the past several years, during weight gain. Both are similar in the outside appearance, looking like califlower, or has a friend puts it, "it looks like a small brain". One is on my upper inside left thigh. It has a stalk of skin, about one inch long, but during my daily activities, the stalk get streched out and returns to original length overnight. At the end of the stalk is this growth. It was about the size of a Strawberry, fleshy feeling, flesh colored and would drain a clear, odorous liquid every so often. During my weight loss it has reduced much in size (growth is about the size of a grape now) and does not drain anything visible or odorous. The second is on the back of my left thigh, about the size of a Strawberry as well, but feels slightly harder and does not have the stalk the first one has. This is tight againist my leg, no space in between. The second one drains the same as the first, but as I have lost weight and my butt gets smaller, I sit further back in chairs and have been sitting on it. This has caused some trauma to it recently and it now bleeds. Stops bleeding after a minute or two of pressure and scabs up. I have had to use gauze to wrap it daliy since the rubbing would tear off the scab and bleed. On bleached stonewash jeans, I'm running home for my next pair. I unwrap nightly and the scab comes off and bleeds some again, but stops, no problems during sleep. No problems with pain or other discomforts on either. I did have a small skin growth on my eyelid that was similar to the first growth I described. It was much, much smaller, but had a stalk (1/8") and slightly larger type growth at the end. This has since blackened, dried up and fell off. The first growth had two "pieces" blacken and fall off while I was at 450lbs. With the reduction of the first growth described, I figured the second might follow suit with contiuned weight loss since I did not have these when I was 225lbs. Since this trauma and bleeding over the past week, I am considering going to the doc to get it checked out. I am the typical man, not wanting to go and combined with some childhood trauma with doctors, it's that much tougher to get the nerves up to go, but I know it's what I must do. Looking forward to your take on this and what the cause of this might be and if there is a clinical name for it. Thanks again for your time.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

The fancy medical name is acrochordon, but we call 'em skin tags.  They're usually genetic.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[lakingz]

Thanks for your comments. Tramua has healed up (no bleeding), yet it still does slightly drain an odorous liquid (as my first one did). Can you advise on the cause of growths like this are and if there is a clinical name for it.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

It's common to get skin tags on the eyelids and also in the groin, but the groin ones tend to be larger and fleshier and more annoying.  They're easy to remove: a little anesthesia followed by snipping with a scissors (painless) and electric buzzing to stop bleeding (also painless.)  I would see a dermatologist for diagnosis, and I bet you'll decide to take them off.  It's optional, but why not?  You'll be more comfortable if they're gone.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff