New, raised "wart like" outgrowth on flank

[NorwegianMale50]

Dear Doctor, I am a researcher of Nordic origin, 50 years old, blonde, at the moment travelling in Brazil on a research trip. Just a few days after arriving in Brazil, I discovered a red-blue wart-like outgrowth of about 2,5 mm elevation on my left flank (side of belly). It does not look like anything I have seen on my body before, and since it is in a place where I would have noticed it, I assume that i must have developed from nothing quite recently. It is symmetrical, firm, rather circular shape and has a very narrow "reddish" margin in addition to a little scaling. While I first took it for an unusual wart, my prime concern is that it looks quite similar to pictures and descriptions of nodular melanoma.

I will stay in Brazil two more weeks, now in Brasília, going to R de Janeiro on Sunday. Would I gain anything from being investigated by a dermatologist here in Brazil (they have some pretty good ones in Rio), or do you think that this can wait until I get home to Norway. I have already ordered a consultation with a dermatologist on June 30, but I wonder if it may involve some risk to wait that long. Alternatively, could a visual inspection by an experienced dermatologist in Rio be of some use in this situation (either for reassurance or further alarm)?

Thanks in advance for your comments!

[Jasmina Jankicevic, MD, MSc, CCRP]

Welcome to the Dermatology Expert Forum!

Any undiagnosed, rapidly developing and growing skin lesion requires evaluation by a dermatologist as soon as possible. In your case, seeing a dermatologist during your trip is a good decision.
Description of the lesion that you provided could be associated with quite a few diagnoses including insect bite, dermatofibroma, seborrhoic keratosis, acquired nevomelanocitic nevus, epidemoid cyst, keratoacanthoma, fibroma, cutaneous neoplasmas, etc.  

Wishing You Optimal Health,
Dr Jasmina Jankicevic

[NorwegianMale50]

Dear Dr. Jankicevic. I did what you recommended me and just saw an old Professor in dermatology at the University of Rio de Janeiro. He had a brief look at it and discarded it as a "wart." I was a little surprised that he could make the diagnosis so fast, but he turns out to be a very experienced dermatologist. So I guess you agree with me that I can rely on his diagnostic experience and delay any further intervention until I get back to Norway in the end of next week?