Hello doctor, I went to my doctor yesterday for a sore on my forehead. I was concerned it would be skin cancer. He agreed that it looked strange, and suggested a Sulfa antibiotic to see if it is getting better. If not he told me to come back again. I am curious about it. Kindly give me an opinion on seeing the picture, is it right to try the Sulfa antibiotics first or should I need to see a specialist as soon as possible.
Hello. I can see it has formed scab now, (attachment removed to protect patient identity) and it could be, The dermoscopic examination will provide more information about the nature of the lesions. However, considering the acute onset, pain and similar spots on the scalp, I feel it is good to use Clindamycin lotion or any topical antibiotic for about five to seven days. If it is folliculitis, it resolves in a week. If it persists, then skin biopsy is necessary to rule out precancer or squamous cell cancer of the skin. If you have a family history of skin cancer like basal cell cancer or squamous cell cancer and if you have had more sun exposure in the past and you do not use sunscreen every day then it needs a biopsy as soon as possible.