What to Do About Infected Mole?

Question

I have what I think is a white mole on my shoulder. I don't remember it. Now it is raised with a red circle of inflamation around it. Very painful. My GP blithely said "maybe a little skin cancer - not the kind that spreads". Not to worry. Then gave me Amoxicillin for the infection. I'm terrified. I thought it was a boil and punctured it (I know). No pus - a little blood. I don't think the antibiotic is doing anything. Advice?

Scott Trimas, MD · Answer

Moles rarely get infected. If it does it is typically superficial and can be treated with topical antibiotic ointment. However, this could be a more serious issue such as a skin cancer and should be checked by a dermatologist who can advise you.

Barbara L. Persons, MD, FACS · Answer

If it is painful….it is not a mole. (Unless you scratched or traumatized it accidentally.)If it has redness, it can either be something that got a bit infected (like a sebaceous cyst) or it can be one of several dermatologic skin disorders that range from benign (sebborheic) to "pre cancer" (actinic keratosis) to cancer (squamous cell carcinoma.)In general, giving an antibiotic for a skin cancer, as your practitioner did, makes absolutely no sense at all to me, so it sounds like either things were not explained clearly, the antibiotics were given when not needed, or the wrong diagnosis was made.

Sam Naficy, MD, FACS · Answer

I would encourage you to see a dermatologist or plastic surgeon for an evaluation.  Finish the course of antibiotics, but at some point soon, you should have the lesion checked and possibly biopsied.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

It is generally not wise to operate on an infected lesion. Allow the lesion to heal from your injury to it and respond to the adntibiotics. After waiting a period of 2-3 weeks, you can consider having the lesion excised and biopsied.

Michele S. Green, MD · Answer

Since there is no photo of the mole it is difficult to advise you.  Antibiotics generally take a few days to work and you have to be on the correct antibiotic for the infection.  You should seek out a dermatologist rather than a GP.  Amoxicillin is generally not give for an infection like you are describing.  Any mole that is changing in size and color needs to be evaluated by a dermatologist and sent to the laboratory for examination.  Please find a competent and caring dermatologist who is board certified for treatment.

Tobi B. Richman-Steinhardt, MD · Answer

Prtizy, go to a dermatologist and get this spot evaluated, and most likely, removed. The initial removal of it will require a simple injection to numb it, and then a piece will be sent to the pathologist to determine exactly what it is. And, then, once the answer is known, the next step will be to plan treatment, IF it is needed. Skin cancer is a possibility, but so is an irritated wart or other benign growth.

Andrew Kaufman, MD · Answer

While starting treament with an antibiotic is reasonable, I think the next step would be to evaluate this changing "mole." It's impossible in a forum like this to determine what you have. Your best option is to see a dermatologist to fully evaluate this lesion. It could be a traumatized mole or nevus; it could be a different type of benign lesion called a seborrheic keratosis; it could be a basal cell carinoma (the most common type of skin cancer), and it could be a differen type of cancer, such as melanoma. The point is that you have a changing pigmented lesion and in my opinion that would best be handled by evaluation by a dermatologist to determine if a biopsy is necessary.

Debra Irizarry, MD · Answer

Your instinct that this new, painful growth on your shoulder needs attention is correct. All skin cancers "spread", this what make sthem "cancer". Basal Cell cancer , the most common, does not spread beyond it's immediate area, but the lesion itself can grow larger, and people do lose parts of their bodies, and occasionally their lives, when this is not appropriately treated. See a Plastic Surgeon.

Robert A. Weiss, MD · Answer

The term "mole" is used interchangeably by patients to describe different types of growths on the skin surface. Dermatologists are the experts in diagnosing skin growths. Once the infection is cleared by appropriate treatment, a diagnosis can be made by visual examination or biopsy if necessary.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS (retired) · Answer

It sounds more like you have an infected sebaceous cyst. Use the antibiotics to calm the infection, then have it removed. If it were an ulcerated infected skin cancer, you need to have that removed also. Go to a plastic surgeon for an evaluation. They will know what to do!

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