Raised red spots on leg appear in warm air, water

[mhop111]

Hello,

I've noticed that when it's hot out or when I take a shower/bath, a few round, raised red spots appear on my inner thigh, just above my knee. They are about the size of a dime and seem to be below the actual skin. They've been appearing for at least a year, maybe longer.

I pressed one and it hurt a bit, but within 5 min of exiting the bath it had disappeared. The area still hurts when I press.

What is it? Is it dermatological or vascular?

[mhop111]

Thank you for your input!


I am predisposed to hives - these are unlike hives in shape and appearance, but could certainly be connected.

I already take allergist prescribed antihistamines - could urticaria still show up? Do they always move, or can they always show up in the same spot?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
The symptoms are suggestive of hives or urticaria. Urticaria is red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes. They have a tendency to change size rapidly and to move around, disappearing in one place and reappearing in other places, often in a matter of hours.
Take some antihistaminic like Benadryl or claritin. You can also apply calamine lotion on the rash. It will help in soothing the skin. A mild corticosteroid cream like dermacort will also help.
If the symptoms persist then please get an evaluation 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 doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.