A 45-year-old man presented to the Dermatology Clinic with a 4-month history of a bump on his left upper back. The lesion was tender and had been draining clear fluid and intermittent blood; he denied any preceding trauma. He had been seen both by his primary care physician and by a physician at an urgent care clinic, where he was told to use an antibiotic ointment and benzoyl peroxide daily on the area and advised to seek a dermatology consult should it not resolve. He did not see any improvement from these measures.
Physical exam revealed a 0.8-cm erythematous nodule with a peripheral collarette of scale at its base. The bandage used to cover the nodule was stained with hemorrhagic crust (FIGURE 1A). Superior and medial to the new lesion was a well-healed scar overlying much of the patient’s thoracic spine (FIGURE 1B).
WHAT IS YOUR DIAGNOSIS? HOW WOULD YOU TREAT THIS PATIENT?
