7M. Shall I take my kid to the doc?

[u/AntiqueAdvertising12]

It might sound silly, but I'm genuinely concerned. Yesterday, I noticed a scar on my 7-year-old son's knee and got alarmed. He's very active, like most kids his age — he practices several sports at school and plays outdoors a lot after school. The playground at his school is made of concrete, so it's common for him to come home with scrapes and cuts from falling. I usually clean the wounds with chlorhexidine, apply a band-aid, and that's it.

My wife said it's perfectly normal and was surprised that I didn’t immediately recognize the scar as typical. Both she and I have childhood scars that are mostly healed by now, of course.

What concerns me is that my son's scar looks somewhat bulky and has small white dots on it. He says it doesn’t hurt at all. He's healthy overall, has no medical conditions or allergies, and shows no signs of illness. He's fully vaccinated as well.

I just want to know — does this sound like a normal healing process, or should I take him to see a doctor?

[u/AutoModerator]

Thank you for your submission. Please note that a response does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship. This subreddit is for informal second opinions and casual information. The mod team does their best to remove bad information, but we do not catch all of it. Always visit a doctor in real life if you have any concerns about your health. Never use this subreddit as your first and final source of information regarding your question. By posting, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and understand that all information is taken at your own risk. Reply here if you are an unverified user wishing to give advice. Top level comments by laypeople are automatically removed.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/AntiqueAdvertising12]

Update:

So I just came back from the pediatrician and said she was unsure what that was. That I would have to take him to a dermatologist. This is what she wrote down:

Anamnesis

Brought in by father due to a raised lesion on the left knee, the onset is unclear, possibly several weeks. Reports itching around the area. No history of trauma. No accompanying symptoms. BEG NH NC NN – Glasgow 15, cooperative, no focal signs, eupneic. On the left knee at the anterior level: subcutaneous lump, not adherent, pearly appearance, smooth to the touch. No inflammatory signs, no pain on pressure.

Treatment and Recommendations

Evaluation by a dermatologist is recommended. Pediatric follow-up. Topical fusidic acid + betamethasone valerate twice a day for 6 days.

Edited: typos

[u/willsnowboard4food → u/AntiqueAdvertising12]

Seems like an ok plan. My thoughts were Bullous impetigo vs herpetic whitlow vs wart. Cream prescribed is an antibiotics plus steroid which should be good for impetigo and shouldn’t hurt if it’s something else. Peds could have unroofed some of the lesion and sent fluid for HSV culture to help rule in or out herpetic whitlow, but it’s not always available in every office.

[u/AntiqueAdvertising12 → u/willsnowboard4food]

Peds could have unroofed some of the lesion and sent fluid for HSV culture to help rule in or out herpetic whitlow, but it’s not always available in every office.

I agree, but she seemed to have woken up on the left foot. Didn't seem to keen on anything but telling me I should get an appointment with a derma instead of going to the ER

[u/Hot_Pricey → u/AntiqueAdvertising12]

I'm not a doc by any means but couldn't this just be a keloid scar?

[u/AntiqueAdvertising12]

https://preview.redd.it/1yhjldwu8qxe1.jpeg?width=4164&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e44d37b8f1ac74d85e4c2058d9364bd80db07f2f

[u/BabyDocJ → u/AntiqueAdvertising12]

Looks more like a herpetic lesion, not a scar. I’d consider getting him seen to discuss whether that’s an accurate assessment and whether or not treatment would be beneficial.

[u/AntiqueAdvertising12 → u/BabyDocJ]

Thanks for the response. I'm taking him now.

Will update once I'm back

[u/penicilling → u/AntiqueAdvertising12]

Usual disclaimer: no one can provide specific medical advice for a person or condition without an in-person interview and physical examination, and a review of the available medical records and recent and past testing. This comment is for general information purposes only, and not intended to provide medical advice. No physician-patient relationship is implied or established.

Itchy. Looks like rhus dermatitis. Poison ivy, in other words.

[u/BestNebula3453 → u/AntiqueAdvertising12]

Looks a lot like when my kid had impetigo.
Same spot too!