About 25 years ago I noticed two tiny scratches on the back of my thigh- they would scab over and then the scab would fall off and the process would start again. No pain or other symptoms for years and I forgot them. In the past two months, I went to take a step and pain shot through the area around my right hip. I had a total hip replacement nine years ago and thought the problem was there. The pain in my right thigh has increased and I have noticed that the two tiny scratches have grown together and are about the size of a dime. The whole thigh area is painful and I have some difficulty walking.