Red Swollen Bump On Toe, Numb Skin And Bit Hard. What It Could Be?

Posted on Tue, 23 Apr 2013

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

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 Answered on

Fri, 17 May 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : Yesterday i noticed a red, sligthly swolllen (Bump) dime-sized area on top of my left big toe.
This area is between where the nail begins and the first joint of my big toe.
I does not hurt.
The area is numb.
If you'd ask me how soft/hard this bump is, then i'd answer 'medium'.
What could this be?

Additional information (migth not be relevant):

* I'm a weigth lifter.
My legs are much stronger that the rest of my body, especially my feet/toes.
Sometimes when i squat, my heel rises from the floor and i briefly stand on my toes (not
completely like a ballerina, but you know...)

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (1 hour later)

Hello!

Thank you for the query.

Are you able to provide a photo of it?

This lump can be a ganglion. This is a lump caused by a kind of herniation between the joint and the skin. It can appear due to hard pressing on the joint (what seems to be present at your case). It is filled with jelly-like substance. It belongs to benign lumps and does not increase a risk of cancer.
Other possible reason of your lump is sebaceus cyst or rheumathic node.

The best way to diagnose it is to perform and ultrasound of this area. If this is a ganglion or a cyst, it can be cured with small incision and removal of it.

Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.

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