› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Waiting on biopsy-can nodular Mel feel like a splinter?Please help.
- This topic has 15 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 6 months ago by
Janner.
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- May 23, 2012 at 11:53 pm
So I am going absolutely nuts waiting for my biopsy results. I had a basal cell in 2006, so I’m used to biopsing any strange spot, but this one was different.The spot started a year and a half ago, it was a tiny black spot that hurt and felt like a splinter. The size of a splinter, too. Tiny. I have a black metal swing that had broken a little, and I thought that I had sat on a tiny metal shard. My friend tried to get it out to no avail, and a tiny bit of pus came out at that time. Over the next few months it bled occasionally and hurt sometimes, I thought it was a trapped metal splinter. Did not have the ABCD’s of melanoma so never crossed my mind that it could be cancerous. And did I mention it was tiny.
Fast forward to last week. My hand brands across my leg and I saw a black spot, raised about 2mm in diameter. Obviously not a splinter. And a lot bigger than the tiny dot of a few months ago. It was round and a little tender. I scratched at it and part of it came off and it started bleeding a lot. I looked online and scared myself with nodular melanoma pics. It looks exactly like some of the pics.
So I rushed into derm’s office and got a biopsy. He mentioned it could be many things and that sometimes basal cells can have pigment. My normal doc is on vacation so I don’t know how I feel about this guy. He told me not to” lose sleep” because whatever it was it was small, but from what I read about nodular that doesn’t really matter.
Anyway, I’m going nuts and I feel like I can’t stand another moment of waiting. It will prob be a couple more days. I feel sick I’m so stressed. I have 2 young children.
Did anyone have nodular melanoma that felt/looked like a black splinter?
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- May 24, 2012 at 12:25 am
I'd say it was more likely that your splinter is the cause and your body had a response to the metal. Infection, fibrosis, scar tissue surrounding the foreign object. Obviously, it could be anything. But nodular melanoma wouldn't be the top of my prime suspects given your story. Despite what you see on the internet, nodular melanoma isn't all that common. Why borrow trouble when most things really aren't cancer? Hang in there and try to relax.
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- May 24, 2012 at 12:25 am
I'd say it was more likely that your splinter is the cause and your body had a response to the metal. Infection, fibrosis, scar tissue surrounding the foreign object. Obviously, it could be anything. But nodular melanoma wouldn't be the top of my prime suspects given your story. Despite what you see on the internet, nodular melanoma isn't all that common. Why borrow trouble when most things really aren't cancer? Hang in there and try to relax.
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- May 24, 2012 at 12:25 am
I'd say it was more likely that your splinter is the cause and your body had a response to the metal. Infection, fibrosis, scar tissue surrounding the foreign object. Obviously, it could be anything. But nodular melanoma wouldn't be the top of my prime suspects given your story. Despite what you see on the internet, nodular melanoma isn't all that common. Why borrow trouble when most things really aren't cancer? Hang in there and try to relax.
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- May 24, 2012 at 3:26 am
My husband had nodular melanoma on his right upper arm. It started out as a purple/black bump, pea-sized, then cranberry, then grape, until it was a huge plum-sized lump on a stalk. All within about 6 months. So doesn't sound like yours at all. Hope you get the results soon, and best of luck!
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- May 24, 2012 at 3:26 am
My husband had nodular melanoma on his right upper arm. It started out as a purple/black bump, pea-sized, then cranberry, then grape, until it was a huge plum-sized lump on a stalk. All within about 6 months. So doesn't sound like yours at all. Hope you get the results soon, and best of luck!
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- May 24, 2012 at 3:26 am
My husband had nodular melanoma on his right upper arm. It started out as a purple/black bump, pea-sized, then cranberry, then grape, until it was a huge plum-sized lump on a stalk. All within about 6 months. So doesn't sound like yours at all. Hope you get the results soon, and best of luck!
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- May 24, 2012 at 8:33 pm
Thank you everyone. The biopsy came back as an inflamed seborrheic keratosis which is benign. I am wondering if I should get a second opinion or if the pathology is so obvious that it is not necessary. How easy is it to misdiagnose a melanoma as a keratosis? The pathology report stated:
Specimen A: Shave, Posterior right proximal thigh
Diagnosis: SEBORRHEIC KERATOSIS, INFLAMED
Specimen Comment: Margins not applicable in this case
Clinical Information: Check margins, BCCA
Gross Description: Received in 10% neutral buffered formalin is a segment of tissue measuring 0.6 x 0.3 x 0.1 cm. The specimen is bisected and submitted entirely in one cassette.
Microscopic Description: A proliferation of Infundibular and epidermal keratinocytes shows Infundibular cystic structures and hyperkeratosis. There is an associated inflammatory Infiltrate. No atypia is present.
What does that mean exactly…and does the BCCA in clinicial mean the doctor thought it was a basal cell?
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- May 25, 2012 at 12:49 am
No atypical melanocytes were seen so if it were me, I probably wouldn't bother with a second opinion. The cells you are looking at to diagnose one versus the other are totally different and unlikely to be mistaken for each other. As for the clinical information, the BCCA probably means that's what the derm thought it was. Usually the derm will state an opinion when the biopsy is submitted. Totally benign. Good news!
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- May 25, 2012 at 12:49 am
No atypical melanocytes were seen so if it were me, I probably wouldn't bother with a second opinion. The cells you are looking at to diagnose one versus the other are totally different and unlikely to be mistaken for each other. As for the clinical information, the BCCA probably means that's what the derm thought it was. Usually the derm will state an opinion when the biopsy is submitted. Totally benign. Good news!
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- May 25, 2012 at 12:49 am
No atypical melanocytes were seen so if it were me, I probably wouldn't bother with a second opinion. The cells you are looking at to diagnose one versus the other are totally different and unlikely to be mistaken for each other. As for the clinical information, the BCCA probably means that's what the derm thought it was. Usually the derm will state an opinion when the biopsy is submitted. Totally benign. Good news!
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- May 24, 2012 at 8:33 pm
Thank you everyone. The biopsy came back as an inflamed seborrheic keratosis which is benign. I am wondering if I should get a second opinion or if the pathology is so obvious that it is not necessary. How easy is it to misdiagnose a melanoma as a keratosis? The pathology report stated:
Specimen A: Shave, Posterior right proximal thigh
Diagnosis: SEBORRHEIC KERATOSIS, INFLAMED
Specimen Comment: Margins not applicable in this case
Clinical Information: Check margins, BCCA
Gross Description: Received in 10% neutral buffered formalin is a segment of tissue measuring 0.6 x 0.3 x 0.1 cm. The specimen is bisected and submitted entirely in one cassette.
Microscopic Description: A proliferation of Infundibular and epidermal keratinocytes shows Infundibular cystic structures and hyperkeratosis. There is an associated inflammatory Infiltrate. No atypia is present.
What does that mean exactly…and does the BCCA in clinicial mean the doctor thought it was a basal cell?
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- May 24, 2012 at 8:33 pm
Thank you everyone. The biopsy came back as an inflamed seborrheic keratosis which is benign. I am wondering if I should get a second opinion or if the pathology is so obvious that it is not necessary. How easy is it to misdiagnose a melanoma as a keratosis? The pathology report stated:
Specimen A: Shave, Posterior right proximal thigh
Diagnosis: SEBORRHEIC KERATOSIS, INFLAMED
Specimen Comment: Margins not applicable in this case
Clinical Information: Check margins, BCCA
Gross Description: Received in 10% neutral buffered formalin is a segment of tissue measuring 0.6 x 0.3 x 0.1 cm. The specimen is bisected and submitted entirely in one cassette.
Microscopic Description: A proliferation of Infundibular and epidermal keratinocytes shows Infundibular cystic structures and hyperkeratosis. There is an associated inflammatory Infiltrate. No atypia is present.
What does that mean exactly…and does the BCCA in clinicial mean the doctor thought it was a basal cell?
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Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
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