Unusual Abdominal Swelling

[minesapint]

My wife has recently had an unusual abdominal swelling. It was in the lower right quadrant of her abdomen and to all intents and purposes resembled a hernia of some sort. What made us think otherwise was that the swelling was linear, horizontal, about 60mm long by 10mm wide and was reddened over the surface as well as for about 15cm in all other directions. It was completely painless, not affected by coughing and there was no change in her bowel habits for the duration it was there. She was not nauseous at any time or off her food. The skin over the swelling peeled off of its own accord regularly every few days leaving further red skin beneath. Last night in bed, the swelling burst and released a yellow fluid. Since then, she tells me it feels better and the entire swelling is subsiding.

She's had three of these previously in both the lower left and lower right quadrants and this one has come and gone exactly the same way as the others with the exception that the latest one had what looked like a piece of hard cord sticking out on the right hand side of the swelling itself that was there for a couple of days before subsiding.

I've got no idea where to start looking for an explanation of what this could be as I don't know if its a skin cyst of some type or an abdominal issue.

These things last for around a fortnight and my wife is 60 years old, moderately obese and has had four children, if that's of any relevance.

Thank you for any advice you can offer.

[hellywelly4]

Didn't she go to the doctor?

[minesapint]

No, on the basis that she knew it would eventually subside just like the others and predicted correctly that there would be no after effects. She has never liked visiting the GP but she was alarmed when our youngest daughter, who is a midwife, told her she needed to see her GP so we all had to play the waiting game.

[Sqad]

"I've got no idea where to start looking for an explanation of what this could be as I don't know if its a skin cyst of some type or an abdominal issue. "

Your paragraph above, highlights the problem admirably, and might i congratulate you on an exact and helpful medical description of the problem.

Nothing immediately springs to mind and as you say, is this a skin problem or an intra-abdominal issue and only a scan will give us the answer.
By the description of a "yellow coloured fluid" one must suspect an intra -abdominal problem.

See you GP and i would be interested in any subsequent follow ups.

[minesapint]

Thank you Sqad. I'm very grateful for your help.

[minesapint]

I'll certainly provide an update but I think we'll have to wait until the next one appears before seeing the GP. Having looked at the present swelling again, I think it's subsided to an extent that would make diagnosis difficult right now.

[Prudie]

Is it ridiculous to ask if she ever had a caesarian or surgery? - the hard cord description almost sounds like a stitch thread.

[minesapint]

Prudie, I think your question is both very relevant and perspicacious. Thank you. However, the wife has never had any abdominal surgery nor a caeasarian.