Eczema Treatment Care

Question by Leigh: Can anyone help me identify a large rash on my back? (pictures included!)?
I first noticed a spot on my back that my boyfriend and I thought was an insect bite. I had an outer-circle of itchy, red, raised bumps and a single bump in the middle (sort of a ‘bulls eye’ effect, about 1.5 inches in diameter–first picture). The first doctor told me it was either ringworm or nummular eczema, and the anti-fungal cream had no effect (the spot continued to expand) but the corticosteriod cream caused it to stop spreading and it faded and stopped the itch. After the prescribed 2-weeks of use I stopped, and within a few days it started getting red again, growing larger, and became a sort of cluster of bumps about 3 inches in diameter with additional smaller circles forming around it as well (3 to be exact–2nd picture). That was in the course of a month, and about a week ago the ‘red bumpy areas’ got really dry/scaly and a thick, red, raised border formed along the outside of each red area. Most of the ‘circles’ are touching each other and the total area it covers on my back about 5 – 6 inches long/4 inches wide. The doctor I saw today spent a while looking through his skin-books before he came up with a diagnosis, and then said he thinks it’s an ‘atypical case’ because it looks slightly different.

I don’t want to say his diagnosis because I don’t want to bias anyone… but I’m wondering if ANYONE has had anything similar and how long it took to clear up and/or what they had to use to do so. Any other ideas just what it might be?

Any advice/suggestions are appreciated!

Pictures (I apologize for the images, but I did this quickly and couldn’t figure out how to re-size them to equal size):

http://www.geocities.com/itsy_chik/Rash
Thanks for the responses so far… I figued I’d add what the doctor told me. He said it definitely wasn’t shingles (and there isn’t any pain involved, just itching!) and he thinks it’s an ‘atypical form of EAC– Erythema Annulare Centrifugum.’ Although from the pictures on the internet, I don’t think it looks like that either and most of those cases don’t seem to have much itching involved. I don’t think there’s an infection (no pus or open sores, just dry, raised, red, itchy skin). Other ideas? Thanks for the responses so far!

Best answer:

Answer by peaceful
My daughter had the ringworm looking circle with the bump in the center. Her doctor immediately thought that it was MRSA because it had it’s characteristics. She tested her for it but the test was negative. She didn’t know exactly what it was but decided to try an ointment called altabax to see what affect it would have. Thank God it worked. It cleared up in a matter of three days.

I would ask the doctor about MRSA. If he hasn’t already checked for this then I would find another dr.

Add your own answer in the comments!

View more videos at: www.healthsciencechannel.com HSC 087 – Your infant doesn’t need much bathing if you wash the diaper area thoroughly during diaper changes. Two or three times a week during her first year is plenty. If she is bathed more frequently, it may dry out her skin. During her first week or two, until the stump of the umbilical cord falls off, your newborn should have only sponge baths.

Dr Rodney Ford is a food allergist. He sees lots of children with eczema. He tells about Olivia with eczema. She got completely better when she went gluten-free. He has discovered that gluten is the major cause of eczema/ dermatitis in children. Some of these itchy, scratchy, irritable children can be cured by a gluten-free diet. Most have positive gliadin antibody blood test. After 3-6 months of being gluten-free their skin can look fantastic. They have part of The Gluten Syndrome. He has written about this in his book “Eczema! Cure It!”

My two year old hasn’t run fever or even complained of itching. I’ll catch her scratching at it here and there and I’ll ask her if it itches and she always says no. She fell in the mud while we were on a walk and got her jeans all muddy. I noticed a little irritation after that. I started using a new dryer sheet and noticed that I was also getting these tiny little randomly scattered bumps so I immediately threw those out. My little bumps went away but hers continued to spread and now they’ve turned into a red patchy rash. She still has the little specked red dots here and there. Is this just some kind of contact dermatitis? I keep putting hydrocortisone on it and I’ve given her zantac but neither seem to be doing much. Thanks!

http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m306/amw0165/?action=view&current=082.jpg