Have Nickel Sized Irregular Red Blotch On Back And Spine. How To Treat It?

Posted on Fri, 12 Oct 2012

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 Answered on

Fri, 2 Nov 2012 Last reviewed on

Question : my 11 year old healthy daughter has a nickel-sized irregular red bumpy blotch in the middle of her back, on the spine. it has a whitehead looking XXXXXXX within the red area, but not in the center. what could it be and how should i treat it?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Asra Ishtiaq Ahmed (3 hours later)

Hello there,

Thanks for writing to us.

Considering that the area involved is the middle of her back, I would highly appreciate if you provide me a photograph of the same. You may use the site's uploader to post a picture there.

It is a prerequisite to rule out any underlying spinal problem like myelomeningocele i.e. a spina bifida at one end of the spectrum to something less dramatic like a sebaceous cyst or a lipoma. A spina bifida would have persisted as a swelling since birth. A lipoma is a painless and mobile swelling that can either remain of the same size or progressively grow and become grossly evident. A sebaceous cyst is a skin coloured swelling and keeps recurring at the same place, has a "white head" as you mentioned and is usually associated with slight yellowish white discharge. It could just be a boil but such swellings are painful and regular in shape.

So in order to be absolutely sure, please provide a clear photo so that we can guide you regarding further management.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Take care

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad