Lumps can appear on the feet in various forms. Some lumps appear at the bottom of the foot and cause discomfort or pain when walking. Others may appear on the top of the foot, which makes it difficult to wear dress shoes or athletic shoes. Ganglion cysts, Fibroma, Lipoma and Neuroma are a few examples of lumps that can appear on the foot.
Ganglion cysts are generally benign masses that appear around joints or tendons in the hands and feet. These masses are filled with fluid or viscous gel-like material that could be aspirated by your doctor with a hypodermic needle. Occasionally aspiration is unsuccessful as a result of the fact that the thick viscous material is unable to pass through the bore of the hypodermic needle. In such cases the masses can be surgically removed.
Lipomas are soft tissue masses that are benign in nature and have characteristics of fatty tissue. These lipomas can occur on limbs or anywhere in the body. The cause is generally hereditary in nature and lipomas may not be bothersome depending on its location. Surgical excision of lipomas may be necessary when they interfere with walking or appear to restrict or compress vital structures in the foot.
Foot Neuromas are tumors that occur in the nerves, including common digital nerves of the foot. These nerves generally thicken as a result of mechanical rubbing of the nerve between the bones of the foot and give the general feeling of walking on stones. The symptoms may be associated with pain or numbness in the foot and toes. Treatment could involve steroid injection to minimize inflammation or sclerosing alcohol injections to destroy the tumor. Other surgical treatment such as nerve decompression or complete removal of the nerve may be performed to provide relief from pain.
If you have symptoms consistent with any of the above conditions, you may contact our specialists for evaluation and treatment of the lump in your foot.
