Paget's disease of nipple - has anyone experienced this?

[Rueben]

Hello,
I'm only 19 years old, and have recently discovered a scab on part of my right aerola. Initially, I shrugged it off as eczema (although I have never scratched or touched the area, and never experienced itching) and thought it was best to leave it alone to heal. It has been nearly 2 weeks now and it's still there starting to worry now. It doesn't really hurt, but sometimes I can feel a slight tingling sensation. (I'm probably more aware of it because I'm worrying). I have also found slight discharge?/flaky golden crusting on my right cup of my bra (where the scab is). My symptoms seem similar to Paget's disease of the nipple. Obviously, it would be sensible to get it checked out but I'm absolutely terrified of going to the Dr's. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience of this.

Oh and I have never been pregnant and most definetly am not now

Ok, firstly, Paget's disease of the nipple is very rare, and usually presents in women over 60, (from what I've read) so it's highly unlikely that you have it.
While I don't have first hand experience, a dear friend of mine was diagnosed with this 2 years ago, she is 74. It started as an itchy rash, and she tried all the various eczema creams, which didn't clear it up. So after about 4 months, she got checked out with a skin biopsy, and it came back positive. She didn't have an underlying lump (about 50% of cases do), so didn't lose the breast, but she had an op to remove the affected tissue, followed by a course of radiotherapy, and is now on Tamoxifen.

I think it's highly unlikely that you have it (I'm no doctor!), but you know you should make that appt. with your doctor to get it checked, so please do. Good luck!

This is an occasion when you absolutely have to go to the doctor.

My friend had it. She was dismissed again and again by the doctor as having excema. She was 30 when she had it. There was history in the family of another member having it, so she pushed for a diagnosis as deep down, she knew what it was. She's since had a mastectomy and radiotherapy and is, about 10 years down the line, doing well.

Try not to panic as it is almost certainly nothing serious, but you really need to go to your GP about this.

I've had very similar to what you're describing a few years back & it turned out to be nothing. GP prescribed an eczema style treatment & it cleared up

I was about 30 at the time. It was itchy & dry, flaky & dischargey too.

Go to your GP, I think there are less worrying things than you're fearing but mine didn't go in its own. A new washing powder I was using made it worse too.