What on earth is this that has appeared on Ds 13 back?

[Whatayear2020]

My Ds, age 13 has had this appear on his back, it wasn't here at the start of the year, any ideas? I am going to make him a docs appointment. Have also found some milder ones above his knee after looking.

I was going to say stetch marks, but having google Bartonella now I am not sure.

It is an unusual place for stretch marks, I would take him to GP.

The stretch marks theory would make sense if he had had a recent massive growth spurt (the big growth spurt some teen boys have where they shoot up 20+ cm in a year including broadening out from little boy narrow frame to broad shouldered and rib caged post puberty male shape to produce those marks) but as you say he hasn't had a noticable growth spurt you're absolutely right to get him to a doctor.

My son had stretchmarks across his lower back - he used to say he'd been mauled by a tiger.

My son has exactly the same. He does a competitive sport and several of his peers have the same stretch marks in exactly the same place . He has started to use Bio Oil and it does seem to of helped . Please reassure him, it's perfectly normal and they will fade after he stops growing .

I’d check for Bartonella. Upper body only stretch marks and and oversized belly can also be signs of Cushing’s. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

I’m not a panicker by any means and both my teens have growth stretch marks but those look particularly large deep ones and bearing in mind he’s been unwell recently I would definitely get him checked out. I would also take some information with me about Bartonella as it sounds like something many GP’s may be unfamiliar with.

What @Inforthelonghaul said. Those are deep and large and they've appeared quickly during a time you say no growth spurt has occurred. It could be indicative of something else so worth checking out.

I would go to GP to check it out to be on safe side.

How does he feel about them?

I would go to the GP

Stretch marks haha. They’ll fade! He’s obviously took a growth spurt

DS had stretch marks like that at 14, he grew 2 inches in one summer. He's 20 now and they have faded to almost nothing

Stretch marks haha. They’ll fade! He’s obviously took a growth spurt

OP has said he hasnt had a growth spurt.

My partner is very very tall and he must have had big growth spurts as a teenager. He has faded stretch marks on his back in exactly the same place, they've faded so much that they're not particularly obvious, so hopefully will reassure your son that they won't look this noticeable forever.

My DS (16) had stretch marks on his back after a few weeks of working out. They DON'T look like that, very similar but not as deep/wide.
Definitely see a GP because it does look like Bartonella, doesn't it?

Both my kids have stretch marks.

Is it a thing that most people have?

Idk, I, my sibling & parents never had any other than the females getting them due to pregnancy.

My husband has them-first person I'd seen with them!

Just the luck of the draw!

My brother's were like that...they do go less red and livid looking. They will go silvery.

Make sure his diet is good with lots of vitamin E. The skin is altered from the inside, not outside.

I would say this is urgent! Hope you can get him to the GP today.

OP speak to the Dr - they don't look quite like stretch marks to me. Too deep

Stretch marks. I think bio oil definitely helps having used it myself on pregnancy belly.

That definitely looks more like Bartonella. Boys are much more likely to get stretch marks around the lower back/hip area. I would get it checked out asap!

Stretch marks. This happened to my brother when he had a massive growth spurt and grew to 6ft 2 at 13 years old. Our mum thought he'd been attacked. No, it was stretch marks. Get him some Bio Oil and apply it regularly.

My husband has them in the exact same place! His was caused by his computer chair and spending too much of his puberty on the damn thing!! Although now he's 30 they've all but gone.

Bartonella are not tick-borne diseases.

The link that has been posted upthread already makes the point
Bad info on Google
A Google Image search for “rash bartonella” returns photos of streaked rashes that are likely stretch marks and not skin manifestations of Bartonella. The top hit from the search is from the pseudoscience organization LymeDisease.org.

No reputable science organization features photos like this of Bartonella. One of the images is just a mislabeled version of the Wikimedia stretch marks image.

As many people have pointed out, stretch marks are common in adolescence. Sometimes they can be associated with conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan's syndrome and Cushing's syndrome, so it would be a good idea to get him to see his GP, just in case.

The website linked on this thread seems to suggest that bartonella does not cause stretch marks, or am I reading it incorrectly?

I would talk to the gp for your peace of mind and to rule out any other issues especially as he has been unwell. Although stretch marks are very common in teen boys especially on their backs.

Ds has had them and they looked similar to the photo. He was having lots of other issues too and he was referred to a physio. She had a student with her at the time and I remember she looked completely shocked when she saw Ds's back. There was a concern for a while that Ds had a connective tissue disorder because of the marks and other symptoms. He didn't and they were just teenage boy stretch marks.