Aa
Baseball sized lump on left thigh
I've been suffering from a golf ball to baseball size "ball" which is filled with blood. I know this because every so often it erupts and I bleed profusely dripping on the floor and soiling my clothing. I've been to ER and been told nothing, only that's non life threatening which is nice to know, sent home with no treatment, have also visited my doctor but because appointments are so far apart by the time I get to her the ball is reduced or gone. Same applied to Wound Care visits. I don't know what to do. Any suggestions?
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Thank you for your answer, you have no idea how helpful you have been. The "ball" is behind my left leg between my knee and my buttock. So I cannot see it at all, I can feel part of it and can usually tell the size. Unfortunately, I don't have a way to see it. I have a housemate but her eyesight is not good so she can't help me with this. I'll figure something out from your suggestions. I have lymphedema of the lower extremities which I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it or not, I don't think so but it will be something to look into. I don't have this problem anywhere else. I was told to get a inflatable donut and try that to see if it might stop the ball from forming, I bought one but haven't used it yet. The ball has been forming off and on for about a year and a half don't know if anything caused it or not, can't recall any event that could have triggered this, I may never know. As to meds I take I take quite a few, have high blood pressure which is under control, diabetes type 2 which is also pretty much controlled, back to the bleeding for a moment, depends on what you mean by excess bleeding. Depending on the size of the ball, I've had so much bleeding it dripped on the floor and puddled in a small pool. The bleeding stopped, I called the advice nurse and she said come into the ER, I did that and the guy looked at it (the ball was now gone because the bleeding had stopped), he said he could see the place where the blood had exited and that it was not life threatening, put some ointment on it and sent me home. This is when I began to not have as much faith in the medical profession as I did then. You have given me more insight into this problem than anyone, I thank you very much and going to work on follow-up. Again, my thanks.
Btw, since it is on the back of the thigh, is it possible you are maybe sitting on something or otherwise putting pressure on that area? That could explain a hematoma.
"I was 350 pounds and am currently at 316, goal is to get to 165."
That is terrific, jan. Doing that might be the absolute most promising thing you can do for your overall health and even for this particular set of problems. Promise that when you get below 200, you'll post here to brag, okay? :)
Do you know that bodyfat itself is pro-inflammatory? It makes and excretes pro-inflammatory chemicals.
"because I'm adopted"
Pardon me if I mention that that might be affecting your behavior -- and self image, too.
"no blood tests for any kind of inflammation, don't know what a CRP is"
Simply put, it is a very common and inexpensive blood test for general inflammation. What it stands for ('C-Reactive Protein') doesn't really matter. You might possibly find that it was done, and is in your online portal. (There are also several other more illuminating tests, such as for IL-6 and TNF, that you might get one day.) Lowering overall inflammation is key for lifetime health and is involved in avoiding heart attacks in future decades.
Let me know of any developments. Good luck, jan. I'm rooting for you :) (And thanks for the compliments)
That is terrific, jan. Doing that might be the absolute most promising thing you can do for your overall health and even for this particular set of problems. Promise that when you get below 200, you'll post here to brag, okay? :)
Do you know that bodyfat itself is pro-inflammatory? It makes and excretes pro-inflammatory chemicals.
"because I'm adopted"
Pardon me if I mention that that might be affecting your behavior -- and self image, too.
"no blood tests for any kind of inflammation, don't know what a CRP is"
Simply put, it is a very common and inexpensive blood test for general inflammation. What it stands for ('C-Reactive Protein') doesn't really matter. You might possibly find that it was done, and is in your online portal. (There are also several other more illuminating tests, such as for IL-6 and TNF, that you might get one day.) Lowering overall inflammation is key for lifetime health and is involved in avoiding heart attacks in future decades.
Let me know of any developments. Good luck, jan. I'm rooting for you :) (And thanks for the compliments)
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You're welcome (compliments). You deserve them you've have given me so much information and I'm grateful for all of it. I'm 74 so some things I can do and others I can't but based on the information you have already given me I'm going to be working on that. I've taken notes and printed out other stuff based on what you have told me and I'm going to get that donut up and running and start sitting on it today to see if that might help with the swelling. I will keep you posted.
By severe bleeding, I'd meant if it's so bad that you need immediate treatment in an ER to stop it.
Speaking of the bleeding: an AVM is probably more likely to result in external bleeding. A hematoma (pocket of blood) would rarely rupture to the outside of the skin. But then the pattern of your bleeding seems more like a hematoma, as if the pocket of blood quickly empties and then that's the end of it, until the next cycle. Right?
Speaking of the bleeding: an AVM is probably more likely to result in external bleeding. A hematoma (pocket of blood) would rarely rupture to the outside of the skin. But then the pattern of your bleeding seems more like a hematoma, as if the pocket of blood quickly empties and then that's the end of it, until the next cycle. Right?
Jan, normally I would have asked about what other unusual health problems you have. But lately, people who post don't reply at all - not even to indicate that they've read answers.
But you do reply :) So... what other unusual conditions do you have? What about family history, especially inflammatory/immune-system conditions?
But you do reply :) So... what other unusual conditions do you have? What about family history, especially inflammatory/immune-system conditions?
"I have lymphadema of the lower extremities which I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it or not"
I think it likely does. Let's look at it his way: both can be seen as possibly resulting from leaky vessels (blood and lymph vessels).
In diagnosing, there is the principle of Occam's Razor which says to first look for a common underlying cause. Vessels are wrapped in connective tissue, which is mostly made up of collagen. If that wrapper (adventitia) is made weak/defective/permeable, then we have a theory here. Also, how does the collection of blood end up bleeding outside the skin, which us rare? Well, the skin has collagen, too.
What can break down the collagen matrix in connective tissue? There are inflammatory enzymes (matrix metalloproteinases) that do that. Diabetes, btw, is pro-inflammatory. If you are very overweight, that is also pro-inflammatory. Plus, high blood pressure can help drive blood out of weakened vessels - and pressure in the leg can he higher than in the arm.
Yep, that's complicated but it does tie it all together. And there is no simple answer to what you are experiencing Have you had any blood tests for inflammation, such as CRP?
I think it likely does. Let's look at it his way: both can be seen as possibly resulting from leaky vessels (blood and lymph vessels).
In diagnosing, there is the principle of Occam's Razor which says to first look for a common underlying cause. Vessels are wrapped in connective tissue, which is mostly made up of collagen. If that wrapper (adventitia) is made weak/defective/permeable, then we have a theory here. Also, how does the collection of blood end up bleeding outside the skin, which us rare? Well, the skin has collagen, too.
What can break down the collagen matrix in connective tissue? There are inflammatory enzymes (matrix metalloproteinases) that do that. Diabetes, btw, is pro-inflammatory. If you are very overweight, that is also pro-inflammatory. Plus, high blood pressure can help drive blood out of weakened vessels - and pressure in the leg can he higher than in the arm.
Yep, that's complicated but it does tie it all together. And there is no simple answer to what you are experiencing Have you had any blood tests for inflammation, such as CRP?
1 Comments
Your explanations are very helpful and have given me much to think about as well as possibly being more proactive about my treatment or lack thereof. I am morbidly obese which I am trying to correct now. I was 350 pounds and am currently at 316, goal is to get to 165. I just received a pump for my legs that I'm going to use and see if that has any affect on my problem. No medical history because I'm adopted, and have had no blood tests for any kind of inflammation, don't know what a CRP is. So again, my thanks, I'm going to pursue more options now.
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- take pictures, with a ruler beside it
- take pictures after it has hemorrhaged/ruptured
- make a log of ruptures, and maybe rate of growth
- is internal bleeding only always in that one spot? do gums bleed when brushing teeth? any easy bruising?
- did anything notable happen before this thing first started occurring?
- taking any meds that might cause permeable blood vessels?
- any injury at that spot, even long ago?
Also:
- since it ruptures, look up arteriovenous malformations and see if that fits
- if a doc thinks it is a possible AVM, than ask them to write a standing order for a scan, for when it is big again. An ultrasound should be able to see a static hematoma, and Doppler ultrasound might be able to see an AVM's blood flow; but an MRI might be necessary to see an AVM's structure and you likely can't get a timely MRI.
- or try to visit a Vascular Medicine Specialist
- an ER is not a good place for mystery conditions -- unless you have sudden and very severe headache, then go immediately, or if there is excess bleeding when it ruptures
Those are some guesses.