OP
salimbag
Guest
There was no biopsy. In fact, I was constantly surprised that both in the Philippines and here in the states that among the four doctors that I went to none of them ACTUALLY LOOKED AT IT! I mean, they did kind of glance casually down at my leg from where they sat at their desk, but none touched it or had me get on an examination table or bent down to get a good close look at it! All the debriding was done by me on their advice.
The wounds do (did) look similar to a brown recluse bite on the inside, come to think of it, except for their shape. There were about three irregular deep areas about the size of a quarter, each of which had little tendrils radiating out from them another inch or so on each side. THey looked like paint splatters. When we ripped the dead tissue out (which took considerable force), which we did repeatedly for about three weeks, the center would be perhaps two mm deep and reveal fresh pink flesh - the tendrils were shallower. Again, no pain. There were also about six or so round areas about a cm in diameter that looked simiar, also about 2mm deep, that we debrided as well. These, however, bled profusely. In fact, for about a month afterward the entire area, as I said, felt hard as a rock with a thin layer of skin over it. The slightest bump at that point would cause a tiny break in the skin that would bleed like crazy for a minute or so. I never experienced a hard black "plug" of necrotic tissue. The tissue we removed was always soft and spongy although tough and leathery, and transitioning from yellow to black.
So I regret - no pictures, no biopsy to show.... I had really posted this as a warning to others but am really enjoying the interested advice and medical sleuthing endeavor that it has turned into.
The wounds do (did) look similar to a brown recluse bite on the inside, come to think of it, except for their shape. There were about three irregular deep areas about the size of a quarter, each of which had little tendrils radiating out from them another inch or so on each side. THey looked like paint splatters. When we ripped the dead tissue out (which took considerable force), which we did repeatedly for about three weeks, the center would be perhaps two mm deep and reveal fresh pink flesh - the tendrils were shallower. Again, no pain. There were also about six or so round areas about a cm in diameter that looked simiar, also about 2mm deep, that we debrided as well. These, however, bled profusely. In fact, for about a month afterward the entire area, as I said, felt hard as a rock with a thin layer of skin over it. The slightest bump at that point would cause a tiny break in the skin that would bleed like crazy for a minute or so. I never experienced a hard black "plug" of necrotic tissue. The tissue we removed was always soft and spongy although tough and leathery, and transitioning from yellow to black.
So I regret - no pictures, no biopsy to show.... I had really posted this as a warning to others but am really enjoying the interested advice and medical sleuthing endeavor that it has turned into.
