concerned about melanoma...

[Distressed15]

Dear Dr. Rockoff,

I have debated on writing here for a few weeks now, but decided to, since I am not able to stop worrying...

I am a 26 year old female and a little over a month ago I noticed a growth on my upper thigh, near the pubic region, that looked strange to me. It was black in color and in the shape of a line. It was only about 1 mm long and very thin. At first I thought that it may have been an ingrown hair, due to its shape and color, but it was different than any ingrown hair I have ever had. It was not raised at all and seemed very superficial as well as shiny. I picked at it after having it for a couple days to see if it was a hair. A little piece picked off of it and then I realized it didn't seem like a hair. It also didn't really look like a mole though. It never bleed or hurt when being picked at. The next day, the whole line scabbed up, even the part I didn't pick at. When the scab fell off a few days later, there was just a little lighter circular area of skin that was scarred, but otherwise normal. It has been about a month now and nothing has grown back. I check it everyday and there does appear to be a hair follicle where the growth initially was.

My concern is this...

Is it possible that this could have been the start of a growing melanoma that I picked off, even though it didn't bleed and was very superficial looking? Would it have grown back if it was?

I am very nervous that I may have picked off something that could have been potentially dangerous, as it did not look like anything I have seen before on my body. I have read stories about patients that have melanoma de novo and am very concerned about this happening to me. I don't want this to all of a sudden appear in my lymph nodes.

I could go to the doctor and have the area biopsied, but there really is nothing there to see. The skin looks normal, just slightly lighter now.

If this does not sound like a melanoma, what do you think it was?

Thanks for your help and time.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

You can't pick off a melanoma.  If there's nothing there to see now, it must have been an ingorwn hair or the equivalent.  However, I can't say more than this without seeing you.  I therefore suggest that you see a doctor who can examine you with good light and magnification, so you can get definitive reassurance.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[Distressed15]

Thank you for your response!

So to make sure I understand this clearly. If it was a melanoma, it wouldn't have been able to just be picked off, especially without pain or bleeding? If it had been anything bad, would the mole or whatever it was have grown back? Like I said, I have been watching it for a month now and it just looks like normal skin that is a little lighter in color, due to a small scar. There is no thickness in the skin at all.

Just want to make sure potential malignant cells are not deep in the skin now, even though there is no presence of anything on the surface. Would a biopsy of the area where it was be unnecessary?

Thanks for your time.

[Distressed15]

Correction on my above post. Melanoma de novo was the wrong term to use. I meant melanoma that appears in the lymph nodes, without any markings on the skin. Sorry if there was confusion.