[summer]

Hi Everyone,
For the last couple of days I've noticed small or tiny bumps on my fingers. I now have 4, they are red in colour and hurt to touch and sort of have like a see through blister appearance to them. They are not itchy. Could all of this be related to Scleroderma?.
Your thoughts or opinions would be great.
Thanks
Ced

[Heidi]

Hi,

I had this when I first got sick. It was like a little blood blister on the tips of all of my fingers and it was very tender. They all just went away after about 6 weeks. When I mentioned it to my rheumatologist, he just asked if they took forever to go away and when I said yes, nothing else was said about it. That was about 5 years ago and they haven't ever come back.

Warm wishes,
Heidi

[Sweet]

Hi Ced,

It could be the beginning of calcinosis. Please check out this link and see if it rings true to what you are experiencing. If so, you probably need to contact your doctor.

[summer]

Hi Sherrill & Sweet,
I don't think that it is the beginning of Calcinosis I have read the article on Calcinosis and it doesn't seem to fit the description. It's not a blood blister either.
It is red at first then after awhile it gets to be tiny in size, if I touch it is sore.
I had the very first one a week or so ago on the side of my forefinger after a few days the soreness went and now I'm left with slighty raised dry skin.
Anyway I'll mention to my rheumatologist when I see her.
Kind Regards
Celia

[Heidi]

Hi Ced,

What you are describing sound exactly what I had....even though it looked a little bit like blood blisters at first, they definitely were not and after a week or sore, they too turned to raised dryer skin. I never did learn what it was and, as I said, it only happened that one time and not again. I will be curious to see what your rheumatologist has to say about your bumps.

Warm wishes,
Heidi

[americanmike]

Hi Ced--

I have had the exact same thing happen. They are really sore, and don't go away for like 2-4 weeks.

I was always sure they were related to my autoimmune condition, but my wife says she gets the same thing. And she's healthy. So...????

Maybe my wife is trying to make me less neurotic? Maybe this is something people get even without scleroderma. Or maybe what I get isn't what you have described.

But it sure sounds exactly the same. Redness, then like a transparent blood blister below the surface skin, soreness, then it gets better and leaves a dry raised bump.

I recently had a very painful one on my index finger. So I popped it with a needle, put antibiotic cream on it and a bandaid and it got better in a couple days. Maybe that's a way to make it stop nagging you?

Michael in Florida

[tbossie]

I do get red bumps from my calcinosis on my finger tips it usually progresses to the skin bursting, calcium draining and a scab forming. My guess is have your Rhuem do an xray of your finger it will be evident if there is calcium under the skin.

[Shelley Ensz]

Hi CED,

My first thought was calcinosis, too. Mine began as little bumps over my finger joints (several all at the same time). But they were rather firm, raised, and they itched a little, too (or felt irritating). Eventually I rubbed/scratched them a bit too much and they drained. Please note that is not the recommended medical treatment for calcinosis, of course! Back then, I just had no idea what they were, and I was fascinated with the milky and bumpy stuff that came out of them; its not yellow like pus, and not clear like a water blister.

But my second thought is, you describe the bumps as clear and that they don't itch. So they might be water blisters. "Water blister — the most common form of blister. It is filled with a clear watery fluid that does not contain pus from an infection and does not contain blood."

Just keep an eye on them. If they are water blisters, they should eventually pop and go away on their own. If its calcinosis, you'll know it sooner or later, but since you say it looks clear and doesn't itch at all, I rather doubt it.

None of us are doctors, of course, no medical training at all, see your doctor for all new symptoms, etcetera.