red spots - again

[Brychni]

Hi - I'll be posting this in NRAS too but

a while ago I posted pics of red spots on fingers and toes that are a bit like blood blisters. They typically only appear one or two at a time, spontaneously, literally within seconds. One minute it's not there and then it is.

They stay for a long time and seem to be really deep (gross but the one on my toe I decide to excavate!) They don't really bother me but I had another the other day on the top part of my thumb near my hand and they just freak me out.

I've been getting them for a few years now. I thought it might have been the cold as I have Raynuad's but I've had them in warm weather too.

Does anyone else have anything similar? The closes thing I have found googling is small vessel vasculitis on the fingers. i've read all about it but not sure I fully understand what it is.

[KnitSewPurl]

Hi , If you are seeing a rheumatologist pls show them this. Also do not excavate any spots like that. Whilst they may look harmless it can cause more damage for what it's worth..

Or see a dermatologist at least to make sure not a lupus lesion or other types of spots.

[Brychni in reply to KnitSewPurl]

Thanks. What are lupus lesions? 🤔

[KnitSewPurl in reply to Brychni]

They come up in red spots as well and they do then to grow if left alone. They have slightly different characteristics. They do change Their colour as they get older/age through the months when they start to disappear clear up they start to turn silvery or very black then fall off on its own.

So I have never ever never pick after I did once when I discovered how deep it went and how fast they grew back they never went away until it is ready to do so on its own.

So my suggestion is get either a Rheumatology or a dermatologist to have a look at it because I did .

[OldTed60]

I used to get very similar looking ones. Mine were really sore so I couldn’t type or do much with my finger pads when they flared. They seemed to start like tiny blisters and resembled pompholyx but with pain more than itch and then burst into dark red spots after a few days. I showed GP but they said not eczema definitely my connective tissue disease. Showed my rheumatologist and she agreed - tested for Vasculitis but negative ANCA. She suggested I start Iloprost infusions for my Raynaud’s and Erythromelalgia. These infusions were/ are horrible for side effects but the tiny red spots/ blisters resolved overnight and I could type again so I’ve had Iloprost ever since. Also on Mycophenolate. I’m now diagnosed with systemic sclerosis as well as Sjogren’s and think perhaps they might have been tiny calcinosis or maybe anca negative small vessel Vasculitis - not sure. However I am sure that Mycophenolate and Iloprost have helped prevent my Raynaud’s from causing further skin complications.

[Brychni in reply to OldTed60]

Hi OldTed - thanks for you reply. They don't bother me although this morning I developed one under my little finger nails and it's a bit sore. I tend only to get one or 2 at a time and not that often, They're ust very odd in that they literally pop up in seconds and are perfectly round. I once had one on each distal joint on both middle fingers, exactly mirrored - probably just a coincidence!

I have antiphospholipid antibodies and have read that the spots under nails is a symptom. I wonder what it means though.

[OldTed60 in reply to Brychni]

When you get them under the nails it’s usually splinter haemorrhages. Yes I believe it can be APS and also psoriasis related although I have neither but used to get them a lot prior to Mycophenolate and Iloprost. I’m glad yours don’t hurt. Mine really did. Sounds and looks like petechiae to me. I have permanent red spots in fingers and palms but these are under the skin and are dot blot telengecstasia of systemic sclerosis in my case. They don’t hurt but in greater numbers are apparently associated with increased risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension - so I do keep an eye on them. I would ask your rheumatologist what they are just in case they are significant.