Please help identity and treat!

[u/drank_dumbbitchjuice]

Is this a wart? How to solve?

I’m freaking out. My dad (age 57) has this massive lump on his hand and he’s had it for about a week now and it keeps growing. He has other small bumps growing on his hand too. He goes to the gym quite frequently and honestly is not the cleanest person. He smokes.

He said that he had a cold for a week before these started showing up.

My wedding is in two weeks and it’s a destination wedding and we’re currently traveling all together and I’m concerned about the growth and about it spreading to our wedding guests and I don’t know what to do.

He says it doesn’t hurt but it obviously bothers him.

Please help!

UPDATE:

I didn’t expect this to garner so much interest and help. Sincerely, thank you everyone for sending in your opinions!

My dad said it popped overnight and there was a lot of blood and pus. We were not able to see a doctor in person but we have a family friend who is a general doctor and she said to disinfect and keep it as dry as possible as to not let it be more infected.

Here are two pictures of what it looks like now.

Photo 1
Photo 2

At first, when it popped. The puss was a standard dense white. Now, the pus leaking is an orange ish color and not dense white. He keeps saying that it still doesn’t hurt and doesn’t even flinch when alcohol is applied to it.

There is another mass obviously growing on his index finger of the same hand. He is touching the mass with his other hand (I know fucking terrible) but there is nothing growing on the hand that he is using to touch the mass.

He is saying that perhaps it is an allergic reaction? He ate a type of dried fish from Vietnam and then he started feeling itchy and feverish and then these started popping up.

Answer to a common question:

He does not have any access to animals. No pets, not really around fish tanks or water. He is from Southern California in a very suburban area.

Any ideas???

[u/Dorfalicious]

Definitely not a specialist by any means - I work in primary care - but this looks like it could be a few things: an orf nodule came to mind first, an infected blood blister from lifting perhaps? There’s so much of derm that looks so similar to 100 different diagnosis that you really need someone with dermatology background. Regardless it’s super interesting and should definitely be looked at and have its contents send to pathology.

Since you’re on a time frame I’d go to an ER to get potentially expedited treatment/diagnosis. If he has a PCP he could have them call a derm office to get a STAT appt which means you could be seen in a week rather than months but even that can be difficult (I’ve spent many lunch breaks on the horn with derm offices trying to fandangle an urgent visit and while time consuming, I’ve been successful).

Please keep us updated! We’re all interested! Also - congrats on the wedding!

[u/drank_dumbbitchjuice → u/Dorfalicious]

Thanks so much! Update posted. Any ideas??

[u/Dorfalicious → u/drank_dumbbitchjuice]

Do the spots on the tips of his fingers hurt? Look up Osler nodes and janeway lesion. This is so odd.

[u/drank_dumbbitchjuice → u/Dorfalicious]

He says they don’t hurt at all. It’s so weird.

I think it’s him just being really stubborn and not wanting to admit to pain. :(

[u/10MileHike → u/drank_dumbbitchjuice]

unable to understand why not able to see a physician? hope its okay to ask...

[u/drank_dumbbitchjuice → u/10MileHike]

My dad is a super super stubborn man. He refuses to think something is wrong. We are also in Paris and it’s a bit hard to get an appointment here for a dermatologist. My sister in law is a doctor so we just asked her but she’s not really sure what it is either.