Suggest Treatment For Painful Boils At The Base Of Skull

Posted on Tue, 3 May 2016

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

Tue, 3 May 2016 Answered on

Fri, 17 Jun 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : I have a boil on lower back of my head just above my neck. It is there since years. Over last few weeks it has got painful. When I itch, small amount of puss with blood ooze's.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (32 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
possibility of sebaceous cyst

Detailed Answer:
Hi.

seems it could be a sebaceous cyst.
Kindly upload an image

regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Kakkar (21 hours later)

Please find the attached 2 photographs for the above mentioned symptoms.

Please advice

Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Nuchal acne; oral doxycycline and nadifloxacin topical

Detailed Answer:
Hi. Thank you. I have reviewed the images.

These are nuchal acne. Not sebaceous cysts as suspected earlier.
I suggest you to take doxycycline tablet 100mg twice daily for 3-4 weeks.
Topically you may as well use nadifloxacin 1%gel e.g Nadoxin gel, twice daily.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Kakkar (29 minutes later)

One last question, does this Nuchal Acne cause neck pain ? sometimes I get a sudden neck pain which is very painful and lasts for a day until I use a hot water bag with an pain relieving ointment.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Nuchal acne can be painful when inflammed

Detailed Answer:
Hi.

Inflammed acne lesions in nuchal region can be a cause of localised neck pain. Hence if your neck pain is localised to the site of nuchal acne and neighboring region then it can possibly be due to these lesions.

Regatfs

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar