# What is this rash? IANSMA **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 17, 2006, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rash-iansma/380769 "2006-11-17T01:51:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rash-iansma/380769/1 "2006-11-17T01:51:30Z")
I got this rash for the first time last July. It appeared suddenly on my left forearm with no obvious provocation - no change in diet, no crawling through tropical forests. Here’s what it looked like: About 30 tiny red bumps - each maybe a bit smaller than the head of a match - pretty much in a line about two inches long. Some bumps not in line. Looked maybe like a map of Cuba if it had several outlying islands. No other real symptoms. Can’t say it even itched that much. I tried steroid cream and it did nothing. And after about four weeks it dissappeared as mysteriously as it came. Yesterday, more than more months later, I looked down at my right hand and it’s back. This time only five bumps- one cluster of three, one cluster of two - all exactly in a line. I said IANSMA, I’m mostly fighting ignorance by asking, but if anyone has any ideas for fixing it, I’ll try them. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rash-iansma/380769/2 "2006-11-17T02:35:32Z")
There’s no way that even a doctor can diagnose on line: you need to have a doctor take a look at it. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rash-iansma/380769/3 "2006-11-17T02:39:09Z")
Might be eczema ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rash-iansma/380769/4 "2006-11-17T03:08:02Z")
Spider eggs. I’m tellin’ ya. Spider eggs. The big ass hairy ones. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rash-iansma/380769/5 "2006-11-17T03:20:17Z")
Ear-whigs. They’re just lost, eventually they’ll find their way back to your brain. Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![Spidey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Spidey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spidey)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rash-iansma/380769/6 "2006-11-17T03:24:18Z")
I’ve had poison ivy quite a few times, and it shows up in that line pattern. It looks like a raised scar, but you can distinguish lots of tiny bumps throughout it. Itchy-ness varies. Eventually they will start oozing a thin yellow liquid which will harden into a crust. It is delightful to pick off. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rash-iansma/380769/7 "2006-11-17T03:27:31Z")
[QUOTE=C K Dexter Haven] There’s no way that even a doctor can diagnose on line: you need to have a doctor take a look at it. [/QUOTE] Maybe a doctor can’t do it, but **pool** did a great job with just the written word. I just looked at google and yahoo images and I’m betting I’ve got a very minor case of eczema. Nothing compared to the horrible stuff in the pictures, thank god. Thanks **pool**. And I won’t dare ask what the correct treatment is on this board. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rash-iansma/380769/8 "2006-11-17T03:32:56Z")
[QUOTE=Spidey] I’ve had poison ivy quite a few times, and it shows up in that line pattern. It looks like a raised scar, but you can distinguish lots of tiny bumps throughout it. Itchy-ness varies. Eventually they will start oozing a thin yellow liquid which will harden into a crust. It is delightful to pick off. [/QUOTE] No way dude! It looks nothing like this: [![](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0780627792.01.LZZZZZZZ.gif) ](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0780627792.01.LZZZZZZZ.gif) Seriously, though, it resembles some of the other pictures. So I guess I got two possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rash-iansma/380769/9 "2006-11-17T03:37:15Z")
Not trying to play doctor here but in general with rashes sometimes it is helpful to keep water and definitely soap off of them. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rash-iansma/380769/10 "2006-11-17T03:56:07Z")
[QUOTE=Spidey] I’ve had poison ivy quite a few times, and it shows up in that line pattern. It looks like a raised scar, but you can distinguish lots of tiny bumps throughout it. Itchy-ness varies. Eventually they will start oozing a thin yellow liquid which will harden into a crust. It is delightful to pick off. [/QUOTE] I find it rather ironic that the poster who insists that it’s poison ivy is named _Spidey_. It’s all part of the plan for world domination, one case of “Poison ivy” at a time…