Have Bruise And Hard Knot On Arm. No Pain Or Numbness. What Could Be The Reason?

Posted on Mon, 1 Apr 2013

Question: I have a bruise on my arm and a hard small knot in the middle. The bruise happend out of nowhere and I'm worried it might be a clot. It dosent hurt and I don't have any numbness or anything. What should I do?

Answered by Dr. Shoaib Khan (2 hours later)

Hello and welcome to XXXXXXX

Thank you for writing to us.

It appears as though you have an unexplained bruise. The causes for this could be:
-Medications
-Vitamin deficiencies
-Liver disease
-Chronic inflammatory disease
-Diabetes
and many more.

If it has been more than 3-5 days since this bruise has occurred, and it is still present you should approach a doctor. But, if it is a new bruise, you could apply a cold pack 2-3 times a day and see it subside in a few days.

A small knot under the bruise could be due to muscle injury that could have taken place during the process of development of the bruise. If you are worried about the possibility of a clot, the best investigation to rule this out would be a Doppler ultrasound study, which helps in visualizing blood vessels and blood flow. But, unless you have a clotting disorder, this is highly unlikely. Do not worry.

I hope this information helps. Do write back to me for any further clarifications. I would be happy to help you.

Best wishes.

Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar