# What is this spot on my leg? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 20, 2013, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334 "2013-09-20T18:41:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/1 "2013-09-20T18:41:37Z")
[![](https://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r229/curren7/IMG_20130920_142935_zpsc6ae32c7.jpg) ](https://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r229/curren7/IMG_20130920_142935_zpsc6ae32c7.jpg) It looks like a nearly healed bruise but its been there for a few months now. Is this a middle age normal body falling apart spot? Or does it look like something to be checked? ( I’m 40) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/2 "2013-09-20T19:00:41Z")
**Moderator Action** Medical questions belong in IMHO. Moving thread from General Questions to In My Humble Opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/3 "2013-09-20T19:36:15Z")
It’s kind of hard to tell even with the picture- is it more red or brown? Is it raised or rough at all? Does it itch? ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/4 "2013-09-20T20:49:44Z")
I thought of the “bullseye” rash for Lyme disease. Looked up pictures of the rash on Google Images and this rash looks vaguely similar, but not really. Have you gotten any tick bytes? Do you live in a part of the country susceptible to Lyme disease ticks? J. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/5 "2013-09-20T20:57:25Z")
> [@Quintas](#): > > [http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r229/curren7/IMG\_20130920\_142935\_zpsc6ae32c7.jpg](http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r229/curren7/IMG_20130920_142935_zpsc6ae32c7.jpg) > It looks like a nearly healed bruise but its been there for a few months now. Is this a middle age normal body falling apart spot? Or does it look like something to be checked? ( I’m 40) It looks like something that should be checked. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/6 "2013-09-20T21:00:34Z")
Being both irregularly shaped AND long lasting, a visit to a health care practitioner might be in order. You’re going to get a lot of replies like this. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/7 "2013-09-20T22:20:14Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > It’s kind of hard to tell even with the picture- is it more red or brown? Is it raised or rough at all? Does it itch? Has it changed colors? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/8 "2013-09-20T22:48:10Z")
If it’s been there for a few months, it should be checked out. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/9 "2013-09-20T22:50:00Z")
It might possibly be a small fungal infection, I’ve had them a couple of times that looked like that. They can itch, and scratching could cause the temporary redness of the skin around it that seems to be there in the photo. You could try an anti-fungal (like athlete’s foot medicine) to see if that helps. But yes, I would see my doctor, if I were you. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/10 "2013-09-21T00:08:46Z")
Photo site is down but I am prone to trauma-induced eczema that sounds similar. If I get a bad scrape on my shin or side of my lower leg, or scratch it raw, most of it will heal, leaving a darkish, scaly patch that will slowly get to an almost-healed pink before flaring up, turning scaly and rough (and terrible pick-bait) again. They heal very slowly unless I have a supply of tric-something salve, which very slowly reduces them. Get it looked at. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/11 "2013-09-21T01:48:59Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Photo site is down but I am prone to trauma-induced eczema that sounds similar. If I get a bad scrape on my shin or side of my lower leg, or scratch it raw, most of it will heal, leaving a darkish, scaly patch that will slowly get to an almost-healed pink before flaring up, turning scaly and rough (and terrible pick-bait) again. They heal very slowly unless I have a supply of tric-something salve, which very slowly reduces them. > > Get it looked at. triamcinolone acetonide? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/12 "2013-09-21T02:35:05Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=579640&highlight=skin](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=579640&highlight=skin) Seborrheic keratoses seems to be the main answer. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/13 "2013-09-21T03:19:55Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > triamcinolone acetonide? Geshundteit. 🙂 Yes, that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/14 "2013-09-21T03:53:46Z")
Any physician who sees that will think of Lyme Disease first, unless there’s something missing in your history or exam that we don’t know about. If it started small and is expanding, I’d be highly suspicious of Borrelia as the agent. Not all erythema chronicum migrans has the classic target appearance. I’ll be interested in what the actual diagnosis is. ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/15 "2013-09-21T19:28:08Z")
Could be the beginnings of an ulcer - does it weep clear liquid? Are you diabetic? Overweight? Both? Do you have poor circulation in your lower legs/feet? I am/have all of the above and had a weeping red patch on my shin. A course of antibiotics and some antiseptic cream cleared it up in about a week. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/16 "2013-09-21T19:55:56Z")
Must have been fatal, seeing as how the OP never came back to his own thread. ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/17 "2013-09-23T00:21:28Z")
No its not raised, nor does it itch. Its just “there”. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/18 "2013-09-23T01:23:38Z")
Lady Macbeth: “Out, out damned spot! Out I say!” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-spot-on-my-leg/669334/19 "2013-09-23T01:36:56Z")
Did you ever have a pimple or ingrown hair in that spot? I have a spot on my leg like that too (pimple, then pink and slightly scaly after that), or I did about four months ago, it’s faded to white and barely visible by now after being pink for months.