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Noticed A Spot On Foot. Suggest To Get It Biopsied For Melanoma. Is It Soft Tissue?

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Posted on Tue, 21 May 2013
Question: My son did a hand stand in the pool and we noticed this spot on his foot. It is not tender, has no broken skin, no substance whatsoever to it...with your eyes closed, you would not be able to find it by feel. It doesn't hurt, and it hasn't been there for very long at all, and of this I'm certain. I homeschool him, and he is barefoot 24/7 so I see him all day, and this can't be missed! I also have 7 children, all of which have admitted they couldn't have missed it and haven't seen it before yesterday.
We took him to urgent care and they were baffled, except to suggest we get it biopsied for melanoma...which frightened me terribly.
He has very dark skin, is never unprotected in the sun, brown hair and eyes, with little to no moles on his body. My gut says this is more of a "trauma" to the soft tissue, but it is the weekend, and I can't do anything about it.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (18 minutes later)
Hello!

Thank you for the query.

I do not want to scare you, but you were advised correctly by a doctor. This lesion looks suspicious and should be removed and send for histopathology. Especially that you have not noticed before (so it has appeared recently). This lesion is irregular in shape and color what makes it suspicious.
It is also possible that this is some kind of boil caused by an infection (bacterial or fungal). In such case there should be some brow substance inside (blood). However you have mentioned that this is not a protuberant lesion.
It does not look like a trauma caused.

So in conclusion, few days wont change anything (so no need to do anything with it today), but you should definitely have it diagnosed (dermatologist should be consulted) and removed for histopathology.

Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (2 minutes later)
it does look like blood for sure, and he came to me last week saying he thought something stung him in the foot, though I could see nothing
doctor
Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (41 minutes later)
Than you can try to drain it with the needle. The skin on the foot is quite thick and should be painless. If the drainage will evacuate the blood, there will be no doubts about the melanoma. So it is worth to try. If you can not do it by yourself, just wait till tomorrow and visit your doctor.

Hope this will help.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (1 minute later)
thank you, I will. I appreciate the advice.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (0 minute later)
You are welcome
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Grzegorz Stanko

General Surgeon

Practicing since :2008

Answered : 5795 Questions

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Noticed A Spot On Foot. Suggest To Get It Biopsied For Melanoma. Is It Soft Tissue?

Hello!

Thank you for the query.

I do not want to scare you, but you were advised correctly by a doctor. This lesion looks suspicious and should be removed and send for histopathology. Especially that you have not noticed before (so it has appeared recently). This lesion is irregular in shape and color what makes it suspicious.
It is also possible that this is some kind of boil caused by an infection (bacterial or fungal). In such case there should be some brow substance inside (blood). However you have mentioned that this is not a protuberant lesion.
It does not look like a trauma caused.

So in conclusion, few days wont change anything (so no need to do anything with it today), but you should definitely have it diagnosed (dermatologist should be consulted) and removed for histopathology.

Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.