I saw a hand surgeon who didn’t think removing it was necessary unless it causes great pain. However he said to take care to not let it get infected. But the darned thing swells up with either blood or clear fluid until it pops! Do these things ever go away? Mine is so ugly!
Is it a ganglion cyst?
http://www.assh.org/handcare/hand-arm-conditions/ganglion-cyst
I get one on my finger below my fingernail. It’s not very noticeable and it seems to come and go. I have a vertical ridge on that finger, which the hand surgeon said implies it goes down into my finger more so than outward to the surface. He didn’t recommend any treatment.
I’ve got them on three of my fingers. They’re gross, they hurt, they get in the way, they burst when you least expect it. The fingers that don’t have them have swelling knuckles. Nothing to be done I guess. My father’s fingers were similarly affected.
Mine is on my index finger, right hand. I bang it on things all the time. Once I came home from the grocery store and realized I had blood dripping down my fingers tips. It seems to go through cycles of swelling up to the point of becoming painful then popping and feeling better. It just seems like eventually there will be an infection. Surgeon said removal would result in fusing the joint.
I guess I should be glad it’s not on my face!
My DH got one on his pointer finger. It came and went for years, but lately it came more than went. Plus swelled up more so he banged it a lot. The dermatologist gave him some razor blade things to cut and drain it which I did only under protest.
This last time it swelled up, he decided to have it taken out/off. Went to a plastic surgeon, not a hand Dr (plastic surgeon associated with dermatologist group). He is decidedly NOT HAPPY with the result. While she had it opened up (and discused it with her “shadow for a day Dr.” ) she commented on the bone degeneration and poked around at that. NOW DH’s finger is bent sideways. He had a LONG recovery (for an impatient man) to bend it enough to play his guitar. The bend/bump is almost as large as the old cyst. Fusing the joint was not mentioned, but it almost happened.
So anyway, just a data point that maybe keeping it drained yourself before it bursts is not so bad a plan.
@esobay My understanding is that to be fully rid of the cyst, the doctor has to go all the way into the joint to remove the root. My finger is already getting distorted and leaning left! I’ve had it for many years, but in the last couple of years it has gotten really unsightly. Yes, I’m vain. It seems like eventually it will get infected if it is leaking and bursting. My doctor seemed to think that would be bad.
@juniebug, yes that was it exactly… they had to go into the joint to get the root. And that poking around seems to have made the bone get a spur (there was also some talk that a bone spur was causing the cyst to develop). Anyway, instead of letting it burst, maybe self draining with clean environment and ointment is the way to go. After all his hassle, DH said he would recommend that route. Or have gone to a hand Dr.
I had a ganglion cyst develop on my wrist shortly after giving birth to my second baby. Something about the angle of my wrist and pressure from carrying her around. The orthopedist said he could drain it if it didn’t resolve. I ended up having it aspirated and getting a cortisone shot. It did not return. I don’t know why.