Weird scab radiating outwards - what is it?!

[bintofbohemia]

DS1 (4) got a teeny tiny graze on his head almost a week ago, said he bumped it on the car door. It left just a small mark that scabbed over. A few days later the skin around the small mark looked red and raised and the next day it scabbed over, forming a circle around the originial mark.

Ds2 was seen by a sister at the medical practice the same day as it scabbed over (not for that, for some sort of athlete's foot type infection on his foot which had got really bad) and when I mentioned the mark on his forehead she said it looked like "normal healing".

I disagree and it looks to me like the skin around the whole thing is looking raised now, and if it scabs over again it will be about the size of a 10p and not what he needs for his first day at school next week!

What is it, any ideas? And should I just wait and see for another day or so (he's now on antibiotics for the foot anyway), or take him to the doctors for a second opinion?

[mathanxiety]

Ringworm? Athletes foot is the same fungus family.

Is it circular?

[ambercat]

impetigo?

[NorbertDentressangle]

When you say that its scabbed over and formed a circle around the original mark do you mean its just like the scab is getting bigger?

If so that sounds like impetigo.

[bintofbohemia]

Yes, it's circular, and it is like a circle forming round a circle forming round a circle IYSWIM.

Off to google both and see if there's any pictures. THis should be pleasant...

[Olihan]

Impetigo would be my guess too.

[bellavita]

Agree with Norbert and Olihan.

You all need to use different towels/face cloths to her and get some ab's from the dr's.

[bintofbohemia]

Eurgh, am feeling mildly sick now after a google image search! But yes, that's what it sounds like, and looks like, although it's only fairly small at the moment but it's on his foot and face.

So that nurse the other day was a bit rubbish then. I'm wondering if I should put the cream on the scab on his head too, although it was an athletes foot cream actually so maybe not. Should the antibiotics clear it up? Bugger, I'm going to have to take him back tomorrow, aren't I?

[bintofbohemia]

"Many GPs choose to treat impetigo with bactericidal ointment, such as fusidic acid (Fucidin) or mupirocin (Bactroban), but in more severe cases oral antibiotics, such as flucloxacillin (eg Floxapen) or erythromycin (eg Erythrocin) are necessary."

He started on flucloxacillin yesterday. However it says that you should keep children off school/playgroup. He's due to have his first day at school on Wednesday! Fingers crossed it heals up by then.