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What Does A Painful Lump On The Finger Indicate?
On my ring finger I have always since I was a child had a lump. It grows bigger and gets smaller in cold or heat. It is extremely painful, especially if I accidentally bump it. It will send a pain through my hand and up my arm to my elbow. It gets very painful in the cold and it will shrivel up and look pruney and the bump will get bigger. No doctor I have asked can tell me what is wrong.
Tue, 20 Feb 2018
Hello and welcome,
A bump in the finger with changes in size is highly likely ganglionic cyst. Ganglionic cyst is a thick fluid-filled cyst, commonly appear on the back of the wrist but can be in any part of wrists or hands along the tendons. It is usually painless but if the bump (cyst) located on top of the nerve, it may press the nerve and cause pain. Because of decreased blood flow during a cold weather you may feel pain in the cyst area. Furthermore, repetitive movement of the fingers may cause the cyst to become bigger.
To confirm the diagnosis your doctor (orthopedist) may draw out some of the fluid and order ultrasound or x-ray. If it is small and does not bother you so much you may choose watch and wait approach. Majority of the cysts resolve on its own. Treatment includes immobilization of the finger, fluid aspiration with steroid injections and surgery.
I hope the above information will be helpful for you. Please, feel free to ask me if there is anything else you need to know.
Thank you,
Malik Amonov MD
A bump in the finger with changes in size is highly likely ganglionic cyst. Ganglionic cyst is a thick fluid-filled cyst, commonly appear on the back of the wrist but can be in any part of wrists or hands along the tendons. It is usually painless but if the bump (cyst) located on top of the nerve, it may press the nerve and cause pain. Because of decreased blood flow during a cold weather you may feel pain in the cyst area. Furthermore, repetitive movement of the fingers may cause the cyst to become bigger.
To confirm the diagnosis your doctor (orthopedist) may draw out some of the fluid and order ultrasound or x-ray. If it is small and does not bother you so much you may choose watch and wait approach. Majority of the cysts resolve on its own. Treatment includes immobilization of the finger, fluid aspiration with steroid injections and surgery.
I hope the above information will be helpful for you. Please, feel free to ask me if there is anything else you need to know.
Thank you,
Malik Amonov MD
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