I have condition that doesn’t seem to heal. Let me explain the circumstance.
In 1996 (Sept) I had a Meningioma tumor removed from between my brain and my skull. The surgery was a success except for a section of my scalp. A section of the scalp died and when the scab finally fell off, it left a hole in the scalp the size of a quarter. Later I was referred to a well known plastic surgeon in this area to help cover the open scalp. He tried and tried to have the skin heal and it wouldn’t on its own. He had to grind down that section of the skull so blood would form to feed that section and let new skin form but also that didn’t work. He finally had to put tissues expanders under the remaining skin so he could stretch the skin to cover the defect. Since a few surgeries to accomplish that, I have had a small pimple size bump that would form, crust over, then fall off. It made me think of a small wound that would seep then dry up only to form again a month later. This went on for about 6 years. About 2 years ago I got a bubble which was now about ½ inch in size or maybe slightly larger in that same area that was infected. It was filled with a yellowish fluid. My Regular doctor drained it, had it tested,(staff) and gave me antibiotics. It cleared but came right back. It was thought that it was an infected hair follicle. When it kept coming back, stronger antibiotics were ordered. It still came back so I was referred to a Dermatologist. After seeing that doctor a few times and more antibiotics, he gave up. My regular doctor had me see another Dermatologist. Again I was treated. This Dermatologist tried to freeze one little spot but because the skin is so thin there from the tissue expanders he had to be very careful. The condition continued so again a antibiotic was ordered. This time the antibiotic was Doxycycline which seemed to get rid of the infection but not the seeping. He has me on a constant and continuing course of Doxycycline. He sent me back to the plastic surgeon to get his opinion. He gave me a couple of extra strong antibiotics that he would give someone with MERSA to see if that would take care of it. It still came back. The plastic surgeon said we could cut that section out and again cut the scalp and move it to cover the bad area then do skin grafts. My head would look like a patchwork quilt. Because the original problem of a liquid seeping to the surface is not known, I feel it would keep happening even with all I would go through again. It seems no one knows why this is happening and I feel none of these doctors want to touch it for fear that again the scalp wouldn’t heal and the wound would be open to the skull.
My fear is there is a small hole in the skull (where the scalp had died and was ground down), and liquid is seeping up through the thin skin to the surface, or the same with a small hole also in the Dura creating the leak. Can this be possible? Like I said, with all the doctors I have seen, they seem afraid to touch it anymore because taking a sample may create a larger non healing hole open to the skull. Could it be a bone cancer or skin cancer that no one can really detect without digging into the thin skin or skull? I’m at a loss and scared that this may get worse and kill me one day. What should I do?
Jim Johnson
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