Occassional red dot on chest

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Cubbie2015
Cubbie2015 Member Posts: 875
edited August 2019 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

I'm wondering if anyone else has had this. I am occasionally getting little red dots on my chest. They are little pinpoints, like someone touched me with a red pen, not like pimples. They are flat, and look a bit like petechiae. They fade away over the course of a few days until they disappear altogether. Already the two that appeared on Sunday are hard to find today on Tuesday. I only have one at a time usually. This is the first time I've had two at the same time. Once they fade away, I might not have any more for a week or so.

I've had about five of these dots over the past two months. Three of them have appeared under the mx scar on the side where I had radiation. One has appeared well above the mx scar on the radiation side, and one appeared well above the scar on the side where I didn't have radiation, which makes me wonder if they are even related to the treatment or the cancer.

They are not telangiectasia or cherry angiomas (although they look quite a bit like them) because they do not blanch and disappear on their own after a few days. I tried to show them to both my dermatologist and my MO, but they never last long enough for anyone to be able to see anything - by the time I get in for an appointment three or four days later, they are basically gone. The nurse at my MO's office said to continue to monitor them and unless I get a lot more or develop additional symptoms, they are not concerned.

Does anybody else get little red dots that come and go like this? It's weird that it is only on my chest.

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  • trinigirl50
    trinigirl50 Member Posts: 343
    edited April 2018

    I get them all the time. Exactly as you describe. Although 3 years later sometimes I get them on my face, or my chest, or my hands or legs or feet. Anywhere really. I never know what brings them on. I only ever started getting them when I did my chemo three years ago, so I thought it was a reaction, but they come and go intermittently. My dermatologist isn't worried, and after 3 years, neither am I.


    Sara

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  • Cubbie2015
    Cubbie2015 Member Posts: 875
    edited April 2018

    Thanks, Sara. It's such a weird thing, it's good to know your doctors aren't concerned either.

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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited April 2018

    They might be petecchiae, sicne you describe them to look like them. Anything from coughing to lifting can cause them. I get them on my chest upper arms, and sometimes on my legs.

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  • Cubbie2015
    Cubbie2015 Member Posts: 875
    edited April 2018

    Thanks, KBeee. I didn't know you could get them just from strenuous stuff. Between the snow shoveling this winter and my job, that might explain it.

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  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited April 2018

    I get them too....and sometimes it is a cat that I picked up and dug his claw in so they are a little raised. Once it was mosquito or flea bites....

    I also sweat a lot, so wonder if the occasion is a small follicle that is gunked up.

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  • Cubbie2015
    Cubbie2015 Member Posts: 875
    edited April 2018

    I've had a lot of trouble with acne on my chest. I have very oily skin and had trouble with this even before cancer, but it's much more stressful now to get acne and have to wait to see if it goes away, only to develop more when those are finally gone. I talked to my dermatologist about how this was increasing my stress level, and she prescribed clindamycin lotion. It's made a huge difference.

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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited April 2018

    I will ask my dermatologist about that the next time I go; my acne has been horrible.

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  • teaka123
    teaka123 Member Posts: 95
    edited August 2019

    I have some Petechiae now. Monday late afternoon they seemed to rather suddenly appear primarily on my left arm. True to description they are red/purple, flat, do not itch, are not irritated.

    I just completed my 4th of 12 Taxol chemo treatment w/ Herceptin. I get a steroid and Benadryl premeds at the clicic immediately before the chemo starts.

    Dr has not prescribed Decadron 4 mg a steroid for me to take for the next four days.

    While I do have a few spots on my right arm most of them are on my left arm. My mastectomy and 1 sentinel node were on my left side. Can Petechiae relate to lymphedema in any way? I do not have any systems for lymphedema now.

    Always something isn't it?

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  • Cubbie2015
    Cubbie2015 Member Posts: 875
    edited August 2019

    What I finally discovered about the petechiae was that I was getting them from friction or scratching. I discovered this one day when I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror and absent minded scratched an itchy spot up near my collarbone and one immediately appeared. I am a very pale person, with sensitive skin, and I think my skin has gotten even more sensitive in the areas where I had radiation.

    It's not entirely surprising, as when I played volleyball as a kid, I used to get petechiae on my wrists from bumping the volleyball. I used to have to wear wrists bands like a tennis player.

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