Growing and painful bump on leg. Possible dermatofibroma? Should this been seen by a doctor?

M41, 6’1”, 175lbs, no medications, genetic Loeys-Dietz syndrome.

I’m writing in for my partner who has been dealing with what we believe to be a growing dermatofibroma. He hasn’t had insurance since it started growing so he hasn’t gotten it formally looked at by a dermatologist. I’m hoping some confirmation to be seen by a doctor here will help him get the move on to make an appointment even if the initial consultation is out of pocket.

This started growing in the late summer of 2023. It’s grown SUBSTANTIALLY sense then. It started out as a small red bump, and has continued to grow. It is painful to the touch. The broken looking skin on the bump is from washing it in the shower, but it didn’t actually bleed. Other symptoms he describes are in the cold it feels really firm and tight, and sometimes he’s awoken from pain from it, sometimes he can feel a “pulse” in it and describes it “feeling like it’s growing.”

So to the questions…

- Does this look like a dermatofibroma?

- Could it be anything else?

- Does this look “normal” or like he should be seen sooner rather than later?

Any feedback you have is very much appreciated!!

Photos:

https://www.reddit.com/u/i\_dont\_love/s/sEAYq56Qjr