Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Have Tiny Itchy Bumps And Patchy Discoloration On Lower Ankle. What Is This?
Question: Hello, I have tiny bumps that are itchy on my lower ankles and top of feet. the itching becomes worse with sweat and the skin turns red, the itching spread up my ankles about 6 inches. The skin has also become a light patchy discolored brown in and around the affected area and looks almost like large freckles.
Hi there.
For how long has this being going on? Is it possible there is some sort of an insect bite reaction? Do you have carpets at home/office? Just possibly, a simple solution could be getting rid of them & applying a topical cream with hydrocortisone-fusidic acid combination twice/day for 5 days together with an oral once/daily ingestion of a non-sedative antihistamine called fexofenadine-180mg both of which your local pharmacist should be able to happily provide you with.
Another possibility is a condition called schambergs purpura which is a rarer one..nothing to be concerned about but a diagnosis that will require both visual & a skin biopsy confirmation from a dermatologist near you. The treatment may remain along similar lines but it is more a vasculitis that leaves behind residual pigmentation as a result of the hemosiderin deposition (occuring because of microscopic amts of blood oozing out of the tiny capillaries into the skin & on account of the iron content, causing the pigmentation). This may require lasers for management of the pigmentation at a later date.
Do hope i have given you an accurate & fair understanding of the issue at hand, reassured you it is not a XXXXXXX condition at all & that it may require the attentions of a dermatologist nearest you & helped you make an informed choice at the earliest. If so, please do close the query & if time permits, give us a healthy rating ;-)
Cheers & Good Luck; Godspeed!
Dr Praveen Rodrigues MD
For how long has this being going on? Is it possible there is some sort of an insect bite reaction? Do you have carpets at home/office? Just possibly, a simple solution could be getting rid of them & applying a topical cream with hydrocortisone-fusidic acid combination twice/day for 5 days together with an oral once/daily ingestion of a non-sedative antihistamine called fexofenadine-180mg both of which your local pharmacist should be able to happily provide you with.
Another possibility is a condition called schambergs purpura which is a rarer one..nothing to be concerned about but a diagnosis that will require both visual & a skin biopsy confirmation from a dermatologist near you. The treatment may remain along similar lines but it is more a vasculitis that leaves behind residual pigmentation as a result of the hemosiderin deposition (occuring because of microscopic amts of blood oozing out of the tiny capillaries into the skin & on account of the iron content, causing the pigmentation). This may require lasers for management of the pigmentation at a later date.
Do hope i have given you an accurate & fair understanding of the issue at hand, reassured you it is not a XXXXXXX condition at all & that it may require the attentions of a dermatologist nearest you & helped you make an informed choice at the earliest. If so, please do close the query & if time permits, give us a healthy rating ;-)
Cheers & Good Luck; Godspeed!
Dr Praveen Rodrigues MD
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
