Odd lump on my thumb - please help!

[Mos123]

Hello there,

I have a question regarding a skin problem on my left hand thumb. For about 7-8 years I have had an odd lump of dead skin/dry skin that is bright red and covers the entire of the thumb joint. My thumb has full maneuverability but it cracks sometimes which causes severe pains for me. I remember I got this issue shortly getting a wart frozen from the same finger as a child. It's is hideous to look at, and I often use a bandage/plaster to cover it in public, however I leave it open at home. When I touch it, it feels like there if fluid underneath and is quite squishy, however the skin above it is really hard and has very little feeling to it. I have developed a great deal of anxiety and discomfort about the publicity of my thumb, even though it is only noticeable if you actually looked for it. I don't hold hands with my girlfriend because I dont like her seeing it either. Have you got any clues? My previous doctor said to come back in a few years to see if it has gone, but that was 4 years ago and if anything it has gotten worse.

Thank you for your time.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.

From the symptoms that you have described, it can be a cyst (digital mucus cyst) or an epidermoid cyst. Both are harmless and you should not worry about them. However if they become painful then it means that they are infected and then they may be removed.

If it is hard, then it can be a wart or a callus. Warts are contagious but the rest of the conditions are non contagious.

You need to get it examined from a dermatologist. A dermatologist can tell whether you have a wart by looking at it. In rare cases, a dermatologist may need to perform a skin biopsy to be certain.

Hope that this information helps and hope that you will get better soon. Wishing you good health.

[Mos123]

I wasn't sure if this case was a suitable for a post in there - but I will make a post just to make sure!

Thank you very much.

[diane493]

Have you considered asking in the surgical area for a hand surgeon to answer?  

[Mos123]

Hi there Diane,

Thanks for the response, and after searching images of the cysts, I can say that it is similar to that, only my condition appears more like dead skin. It's dimensions across my thumb joint are about 1cm by 1cm, and had one large solid mass of hard skin above it. the hard skin still has the "Thumb wrinkles", only they are where the cracks form if I bend my thumb too much which causes me a lot of pain.

Any other ideas?

[diane493]

Look up images of Gangloin cyst on thumb and see if that fits.  The squishy feel would be synovial fluid build up.