Hard Bumps on a Child's Skin

You know you worry about every little thing when it comes to your child. And usually you are making a mountain out of a mole hill. However, if you find a hard bump on your child's skin, you should take the child to the doctor for a diagnosis and possible treatment.

Conditions

Those hard bumps on your child's skin might be a skin cyst. According to the National Institutes of Health, a skin cyst is a pocket filled with tissue 1. Hard bumps on your child's skin might also be keratoacanthoma, which causes benign tumors filled with keratin, the protein that forms nails and hair 2. Additional possibilities include cherry angiomas, dermatofibromas, folliculitis and keratosis pilaris 345.

Symptoms

What Causes Keratin Buildup?

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Most of the conditions that cause hard bumps on children's skin do not have any other symptoms. Some of these conditions might cause mild symptoms such as itching at the site; one condition that can cause itching is keratoacanthoma 2. Folliculitis, which is an infection of the follicles, can cause pus-filled blistering, pain and inflammation 3.

Diagnosis

Lipomas are fat-filled lumps that are usually not painful; a doctor usually can diagnose a lipoma without any kind of testing. Doctors also usually can visually identify cysts, keratosis pilaris and folliculitis 34. Conditions such as keratoacanthoma, neurofibroma and squamous cell cancer might require a diagnostic biopsy 2. Your doctor can diagnose neurofibromas with an X-ray, MRI or ultrasound.

Contracting the Hard Bumps

Hair Growth From Warts

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Conditions such as keratoacanthoma can be caused by exposure to sunlight and X-ray 2. The condition keratosis pilaris is the result of a buildup of keratin, although the reason for the buildup is unclear 4. Causes of folliculitis include covering the skin, excessive perspiration, inflammatory skin condtiions and abrasions 3. Dermatofibromas, cherry angiomas and neurofibroma all have unknown causes 5.

Treatment

Cysts, folliculitis, and lipoma might go away without any treatment 3. Neurofibroma and keratoacanthoma might require removal of the affected area 2. Burning, cryotherapy, laser surgery and traditional surgery are possible treatments for cherry angiomas and neurofibroma. With keratosis pilaris, your doctor might prescribe topical corticosteroids and retinoids 4. Liposuction or surgery are possible treatments for lipomas.