Breast Cancer Forum - Cut-like skin on areola

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Q: Cut-like skin on areola

asked by: sandstar08 on April 28th, 2008

New User

Hi there! 17-yr-old teenage girl. I believe I've achieved at least physical maturity, since I haven't had any hormonal problems in three years.

Today, I found a small cut-like swatch of skin, barely more than the width of my pinkie finger, where at first glance it looks like a scab but on closer inspection looks more like folded skin. Its darker than the surrounding skin, and feels a little harder when poked at by fingernail.

My grandmother has recently had issues with a tumor near her uterus, and both hormone deficiencies and large breasts run on my mother's side of the family. However, my areola is apparently considerably larger in comparison to my breast size than my other female relatives. Should I be worried about anything? I planned to start regular checkups with my gynecologist once I turn 18 in a few months, but should I pull the appointment up sooner?

Replies(9)

MandMs

replied on May 2nd, 2008

Extremely eHealthy

Hi and welcome to ehealthforum!

You don't need to worry about having a larger areola. The areola can be a very narrow ring, or may cover half of a small breast. Also, the color varies from pink to black.
Acctually, the appearance of the normal female breast differs greatly from one woman to the next and the breast of any given woman normally differs at different times during a woman's life -- before, during and after adolescence, during pregnancy, during the menstrual cycle, and after menopause.

Do you find the cut-like lesion like a growth?
Is it located on your nipple or areola?

sandstar08

replied on May 2nd, 2008

New User

The lesion wasn't like a growth, rather the opposite. More like a scab type of thing than anything else, except that it didn't lift up and away from the skin underneath. Granted, its on the underside so I couldn't get that great of a look at it. It is on the areola though, a small distance from the nipple but distinctly separate.

MandMs

replied on May 28th, 2008

Extremely eHealthy

sandstar08!

Do you still have the same lesion?
Do you find it with mild itchiness?
Is this "scab" much darker than the color of the areola?

sandstar08

replied on May 29th, 2008

New User

I still have it, and it alternates between being barely noticeable to so itchy it is the point of discomfort. The color change is gone, although the skin is flaky and thus a whiter color than the darker skin around it

MandMs

replied on May 30th, 2008

Extremely eHealthy

So, did the lesion develop in a flaky lesion in a mean time or flaky skin is covering the initial lesion?
Is the itchiness most prominent at night?

sandstar08

replied on June 23rd, 2008

New User

no, there are layers of dead skin cells that flake off (sometimes easily, sometimes painfully) that cover the scab. however, its grown now. two separate scab areas with slightly shiny coats of something and visible redness.

itchiness is almost anytime anything even grazes that area of my body. bumping against someone in the hall or a desk, anything can set it off. possibly more prominent at night because i don't have other things to concentrate on... past two or three days have gotten really bad.

MandMs

replied on July 4th, 2008

Extremely eHealthy

Have you noticed some blistering and oozing before formation of the scab?
Do the surface scales shed easily, but scales below them stick together?

sandstar08

replied on July 4th, 2008

New User

actually, i ended up going to the doctor. she gave me a prescription for floticasone propionate cream and the scabbing went away in about 36 hours.

it had started oozing and shedding though, which was what finally prompted me to get the appointment.

MandMs

replied on July 9th, 2008

Extremely eHealthy

This skin lesion can be eczema (red, blistering, oozing and crusting skin lesion, that may be scaly and thickened, accompanied with an intense, almost unbearable itching, becoming especially severe at night).

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