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.

Stretch marks, my husband has them from the gym

No, Punxsutawney, you're reading it right!

It could be a bartonella infection from a tick bite (as serious as Lyme disease I'm afraid). Or else stretch marks from a growth spurt. My son had the exact same marks at age 14 (see photo)

Go see a doctor as if they suspect bartonella, he needs anti biotics ASAP.

Stretch marks I have them on boobs, hips and thighs from puberty, they are silver/white now and barely noticable. My fiance has them on his biceps after building muscle and growing quickly during puberty, again they have faded to nothing now

They are stretch marks from a rapid growth spurt. They won't go away btw, though they might eventually fade. A friend has them. When I first saw them I thought he must have had some terrible accident or attack but he just grew fast one summer.

Steroids or other strong medications can also cause these marks.

It’s actually quite worrying how many ‘armchair experts’ are prepared to give a definitive diagnosis over the internet. Particularly when accompanied by ‘Haha’ or ‘You don’t need a GP’

OP speak to your GP. Take a few more photos as they’ll possibly do a virtual consultation if he’s not acutely unwell now.

Definitely stretch marks. I had them when I was a teenager and grew breasts/hips. The ones around my hips were severe. Bio oil really helped it fade away. The bottle looks small but it lasts ages!

My teenage ds has these stretch marks too. In the same place. I'd never really thought about a back stretching to the point of marking before he got them there.

I think it's a bit of a shock because we don't tend to see much of ds's back and they were very bright and almost deep iyswim. He's had them for about 18 months now and they are starting to fade a bit.

The joys of being a teen.

I've never heard of that illness mentioned upthread. Having that thrown into the mix would make me want a Dr to take a look, maybe you can email the photos what with everything going on at the minute?

I’ve got stretch marks but they look very deep to me. I’d definitely get him to the drs. It’s not worth the risk leaving it and if it is just stretch marks then at least you can put your mind to rest. Hope hes ok op.

My Dh has stretch marks in the same pattern, but thinner, on his lower back . My very skinny friend got horizontal stretch marks on her thighs at about fourteen, and I also got some on my legs.
Stretch marks are a bit of a mystery. The skin has elasticity, I had a good sized pregnancy bump and no marks, and I have had weight gain generally and not got them, and yet I got them as a teenager. So my skin could easily stretch to accommodate a baby, but somehow not when I grew at puberty. My 15 yr old dd has stretch marks, she is very slender, yet even tiny shifts in size seem to trigger them.
My feeling is that there is some dietary or hormonal factor that we don’t yet understand.

They're probably just normal stretch marks, but am going to ring for an appointment now to make sure. His paternal aunt has worried me a little saying it can be indicative of ehlers danlos, her and her 2 daughters have it. DS is hypermobile and he has ASD, so deffo going to get him checked out, although I'm sure it's more than likely just stretch marks.

I agree with the Bartonella guess - especially as stretch marks on the middle of your back is pretty uncommon and I'd expect them to be on the lower back and potentially vertical as well? The knee ones could still be stretch marks but definitely get him checked for Bartonella.

Also I may be being neurotic here but does his back, like the bones look uneven? I never see his upper body as he's permanently attached to a huge hoody!

Horizontal stretch marks on the back are really common in boys and men, I have seen them often on men on the beach. I have never seen vertical marks.

One shoulder looks slightly higher, but that could be the way he is holding himself ?

Yes to stretch marks - both my ds's had them just like that at exactly the same age. They (the boys!) grew and grew and are now both well over 6ft tall. The stretch marks have started to fade and are just silvery lines now.

Yes it could be his posture

Also I may be being neurotic here but does his back, like the bones look uneven?

Yes, but his arms are uneven though

what my Ds is also autistic and has some hypermobility and they were concerned his stretch marks may be due to Marfan syndrome (he had some other indicators too) all was okay though.

Definitely worth getting it checked to rule out any issues.

His stretch marks were middle to top of his back, so that's completely normal too.

I did not realise how common stretch marks are, my dd has them quite dramatically from a recent bout of putting on weight, and now she is losing the weight and is left with them. I think they look rather cool, certainly not terrible, but I can see how having your skin marked in your teens is not ideal and they do upset her a bit. Her dad had some from steroid treatment, so perhaps susceptibility is hereditary. I am lucky- none after two babies which is why I was surprised they appeared in the teen years when surely the skin is designed to stretch.

As you're going to docs anyway, maybe mention scoliosis too - it might be how he's standing, but one shoulder does look higher. Scoliosis is curvature of the spine, it can be progressive and quite often presents at puberty, no harm in checking!

DD2 (16) has very bad stretch marks across her back - they look like tiger stripes. They are fading now.

Good idea to get him checked out OP.

Hi OP,

I'm sure it's nothing, but you mentioned that your DS has always been very tall?

Is he also hypermobile? My DD has something called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - it was diagnosed when she was 13, she's now 20.

Other symptoms of the condition (of which there are many types) are stretchy skin, stretch marks, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, racing rate, etc.

I'm sure it's nothing but worth getting checked out.