Seborrheic Keratosis vs Mole?

[sleepingbeauty23]

Hi all,

I haven't posted on here much before, but I often read the forums and feel they provide a great deal of support for those like myself who suffer high levels of anxiety.

I myself suffer from or have suffered from health anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder.

My current issue is I have had what I thought was a mole just behind my right shoulder for the last 4 or 5 years at least.
I have never paid a great deal of attention to it, but recently noticed that it had a darker brown centre surrounded by a lighter brown. It didn't look bad per se, but I thought it best to get it checked out anyway. I'm a fair skinned, 28 year old female and I have had the occasional sunburn throughout my life at different times, but don't spend a great deal of time in the sun.

I have a few moles and spots on my body anyway, so went to the skin clinic today (never been to this particular clinic before) and had a full body check. The doctor looked at my moles under a Dermascope, spending only a second or two on each one, and said that the one I was concerned about was a seborrheic keratosis and they do change colour and grow, just not as quickly as skin cancers and are completely benign.

I then had an appointment at my GP this afternoon for a completely unrelated matter, but got her to have to a look at it as well. She seemed to think that in fact it WAS a mole but didn't look suspicious for cancer and she decided to freeze it off using liquid nitrogen then and there.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience? I'm not sure which doctor is correct and I'm hoping that it is benign and it doesn't matter if it has been frozen off. If it was a skin cancer (my fear is melanoma) I'm presuming it will grow back? I have to go back to my GP in a month's time so she can check how it has healed and whether it needs another dose of liquid nitrogen. If anyone could provide some words of wisdom or comfort it would be much appreciated.

P.S. Hoping this doesn't violate any rules, but if anyone would like to see what it looked like, I have uploaded 2 images attached.

[WorryWortAgain]

I would trust the skin doctor over the GP. I recently had a sebhorric keratosis on my chest and the skin doctor froze it off with liquid nitrogen. It looked very similar to yours. What you posted in the pic does NOT look like a melanoma. Again, I'd trust the skin doctor. That's what they studied specifically.

[Lin71]

I agree, i did a huge amount of melanoma research when I had a 'suspect' mole removed last year (during the crazy meltdown that I obviously had when I was referred to the hospital!) - this does not look like skin cancer. If you've had it removed, it's gone, the specialist said its ok, don't give it another thought :D

Lin x

[sleepingbeauty23]

Thanks for your replies guys, it is much appreciated.

I have another question, from reading on the Internet (I know it's bad and I shouldn't do it!), I've read that after the doctor applies liquid nitrogen that the mole/seborrheic keratosis usually blisters. Mine hasn't really blistered per se and hasn't been sore at all today, although it does seem it's more pronounced (see attached updated pics from today). If it doesn't blister does this mean I'll have to have the liquid nitrogen done again?

[WorryWortAgain]

Mine didn't blister either. The skin just kind of turned gray/brown and then slowly went away. There's still discoloration there and I imagine there will be for a while until the scarring goes away. It didn't really hurt. It sort of felt like a burn for a few days and that's it. Mine was on my chest, below my collar bone.

[sleepingbeauty23]

i everyone!

Thanks to those that have commented. I thought I'd post back with an update!

The lesion went quite dark and then I noticed it seems to have gone a lighter brown again with a small amount of stabbing falling off. I've attached a photo of when it was darker two days ago and then what it looked like this morning. My question this time is, will it fade or will I have to go back to my GP to have the liquid nitrogen reapplied again?

[Masonn]

I'm 17 and I have something similar to that on my thigh. It's just like yours a light brown flat part of my skin with a tiny mole/freckle thing to the side. I noticed it a few years ago and I just don't think much of it because it hasn't changed and my HA focuses on my other moles usually. I've never even gotten it checked.

I don't know if it started off without the freckle or not, when I noticed it it was already there. I don't look at it often.

Here's a picture.
http://i.imgur.com/lYgQroV.jpg

EDIT: After comparing them a bit it seems mine is a lot darker so maybe they're not the same lol

[sleepingbeauty23]

Hi everyone,

Just an update and another question.
I went back to the GP after a month because the mole/seborrheic keratosis was still there. She used the liquid nitrogen another 3 times on it. The scab has just fallen off it tonight, and the skin underneath is very pink. I notice there is still a faint dark spot in it (a lot lighter than it was though). I've made a timeline of my mole/seborrheic keratosis with dates which I have attached including up until now.
Does it look like I need to get it looked at and maybe a biopsy taken or should I just leave it? The area is a fair bit larger (at least twice the size) since I had the cryotherapy done. Will the pink fade?

Any responses are appreciated!

[littlemissworry.x]

i have the exact same thing u described. it has a dark center and light border. i am freaking out as have the derm thurs:( i think its melonoma.