Thanks for your reply. Dr. Smith!! I was so excited to see I'd received a reply on my question.

I know it IS a strange question indeed and an embarrassing one for me to have to put out there for the whole world to see. But then I thought, well, what does it matter---MEN AND WOMEN HAVE NIPPLES---- so it's not such a big deal, right? But still..........

My arachnoid cyst is from T3-T8 now. It has grown a couple of centimeters since last years MRI. I have severe spinal cord compression there. I have very hyper reflexes. And I've had my doctor look at my nipple--it looks perfectly fine and normal. I try NOT to scratch it so much, or I'd have a scabby mess, so sometimes I pinch it. But it happens so often that I don't realize I am doing it in public places, like at wal-mart or the store............

Today my arm and nipple are itching. It is SO hard to ignore this nipple though.

I will look up those words you gave me--I have never in my life heard of "pruritis" before. So thank you for that new word.


I am hoping someone else might come along and say they have an itchy part too. I was thinking maybe it had something to do with the spinal compression in my neck-- doesn't part of the spinal cord there govern your arms and your lungs? So why not a nipple too? But I haven't found a good site that shows which nerves at different levels control different things.

Thanks for your help! I'm gong to look up prurits right now!

As far as the skin goes, see the dermatome link at the bottom of my previous reply—that's why I mentioned/posted it. Read the accompanying article to understand the chart & how it works.

Doc

Thank you, Dr. Smith, i just looked at the dermatones image, and im thinking that my arachnoid cyst in my thoracic region is the culprit.

I will ask my neuro about this tomorrow.

I DID ask my Neurologist and pain mgmt specialist about this. He too was stumped. Said it sounds like it has to be coming from the arachnoid cyst on my thoracic spinal cord area, but he's never heard of this either. I told him the itching migrated from 100% of the time on my left nipple, to now about 60% of the time on my nipple, and the other 40% of the time on my upper arm, underside......

He said he'd ask around, see if he can find any info on it. I'm still itching, it's maddening! Scratch, scratch, scritch, scratch!

I know you said your mammograms have been clear, but that connection between breast & upper arm sounds familiar... You might run this by your gyno or whoever... (?)

Doc

I certainly will. I'm due for a new mammo in 2 months. I'd better check sooner. I've seen friends die from cancer in less than 2 months!