Noticed Red Swollen Area On Calf Of Leg. Would This Be Blood Clot?

Posted on Mon, 2 Sep 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 2 Sep 2013 Answered on

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : calf of my right leg has a red hard swollen area, Would it be a blood clot?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Can be a blood clot.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for trusting us with your health concern.
The hard red swollen area at the back of the calf could be due to a hematoma formation due to an injury, an inflammatory swelling like in myositis or a blood clot in the leg.
Management includes:
-rest
-use of ice
-compress the calf to prevent blood from poling in the very acute situation
-elevate the leg especially in first 24 hours to prevent further swelling
-use of anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.
Other possible causes could be
-cramps
-Swelling due to baker's cyst.
You should try the above steps in order to decrease the swelling. However, if the pain increases or the swelling does not reduce, or you have a fever, you should seek medical help immediately.

Please feel free to discuss further. I will be glad to answer the follow up queries that you have.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Rakhi Tayal.

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