Still can't be diagnosed after 4 dermatologists

[ginger34]

For about 2 years now I have been getting these little indented diagonal lines or "slashes" on my left forearm. They come and go in no particular pattern as I have kept a log to track them. I can't associate them to food, weather, time of day or anything else as they are very sporadic when appearing. They come and go, sometimes 4-5 times a day, some days only once and they last for about 20-40 minutes. All the Dr's I have been to say that if it doesn't hurt then it can't be hurting me. They have never been visible when I have had my appt's either which has been confusing for the dr. and for me to try and explain these recurring scar-like lines that disappear.  My concern is that in the past couple of months, I now see them sometimes on my shins and just recently on the back of my calf. You can feel them if you run your fingers over them and sometimes there are a lot and they are pretty indented, and other times they are mild and only a couple lines. The best way for me to describe the lines would be to compare them to the indentations you get if u were carrying shopping bags on your forearm, or sometimes it looks like a could have taken a knife and cut little marks going diagonal on my forearms. I have shown numerous people and no one has ever heard or seen anything like this. They don't get red or irritated and have no pain or itching related to them. I am getting nervous about them because they are spreading although they still disappear, but I can't seem to get a diagnosis and I'm concerned that they will eventually be popping up on my face and other places more noticeable. Please help!!!

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

The only diagnosis I can think of that sounds anything like what you describe is dermographism ("skin writing"), in which even light pressure on the skin (such as from a scratch) leaves a red trail from histamine released from mast cells, which are part of the skin.  This is a non-allergic form of hives.  It does away and has no significance.  Perhaps you can try to elicit it by rubbing your skin with an unopened pen.

I too can think of no serious disease for you to worry about, in any case.

I suggest you take pictures of the lines when they appear, so a doctor can have a better chance of assessing it.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[ohcoffeebean]

A related discussion, Weird Scar Like Lines on Forearm appear and disappear was started.

[dmann8]

OMG!!!!!
I DUNNO HOW THE HELL I FOUND THIS SITE, BUT I GUESS I WAS MENT TOO!  a couple weeks ago, i woke up with all these indentions on my forearm (my left one).  i thought it was weird so i took pictures with my camera phone.  they disappeared shortly after i got dressed and ready for work.  i thought maybe i had slept on something but i checked the bed and there was nothing.  the indentions were different shapes, but diamonds with like a a dot in the middle were the dominate shapes. they were sparse and not in any kind of pattern i could tell.  i showed people the pix and everyone thought i was abducted by aliens!  lol!  i know sounds weird, but i didn't have any other explination to it either.  it only happend the one time and no other markings  since then.  one other thing, but i won't go into detail about it here, even to me it sounds weird....
next time take a pic!  i still have mine!

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

I have never seen indented lines like the ones you describe.  You'll need to show them, or the pictures, to someone in person.

Dr. Rockoff

[ginger34]

I actually can have them without applying any pressure, sometimes I wake up with them, and they are never red. They are always skin color. I have also tried to take pictures of them, but haven't been able to get them to show up when developed because there is no color differenciation. Any other ideas?

[ginger34]

I checked out some pictures of dermographism and they seem to be raised lines and red..mine are more indented and white. I will try again to capture them in a photograph and send it to you