Resolved question:
I have been experiencing chronic skin lesions for 15 months that have waxed & waned. I have been seen in all specialities including a consult at Mayo Clinic and have had extensive blood workup. I have yet to receive a diagnosis. Currently I am experiencing erythematous plaques on my occipital scalp & mild facial folliculitis. Other symptoms include mild shortness of breath, some spells of vertigo, headaches, peripheral neuropathy, & raynaud's. I have been watched closely due to leukopenia that was never determined the cause and an episode of eosinophilia shortly before the onset of my condition. I have multiple travel exposures as a flight attendant and need answers. I experienced a tickbite in may 2012 with eosinophilia realized in june 2012, onset of other symptoms occurred in late August. Lyme panel was completed with western blot several months post-tickbite with IgG 23 OspC & IgG 41 Flagella showing only at that time.
I have experienced skin lesions on my arms that appeared like erythema migrans as well.
Rheumatology is treating it as incomplete Behcet's w/ colchicine 1.2mg/day and dermatology is treating it as folliculitis/dermatitis with Erythromycin & topical steroids. I currently also am being treated for a folate & vitamin D deficiency. I have also experienced Zinc & Copper deficiency as well. I need help. The only thing that really helps topically is topical ketoconazole but it does nothing to clear the condition long term.
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Infectious Disease Specialist
Hello
Thanks for posting your query at DoctorSpring.com. I can understand your concern. You seem to be surely having a complicated condition.
After reading the information provided by you and seeing the pictures, I can give possible diagnosis:-
1. Lyme's disease basses on your history, presence of erythema chronicum migrans, morphology of the lesion. The treatment for this would be an oral antibiotic called doxycycline.
Also the lesions look quite infected. Doxycycline will take care of that as well.
2. Sweets syndrome which we call neutrophilic dermatoses, in which there is inflammation in the skin.
Frankly, it would be important in your case to do a skin biopsy, that will help us to confirm the skin disease that is giving rise to the lesions.
Meanwhile you can start taking doxycycline for which you will require a prescription.
Please let me know if you have any queries.
Take care