bone/cartilage growths on child's knuckles

[cardboardleaves]

Sorry about the shameless use of AIBU, I have had a conversation about this today and am now worrying. This is a 7 year old, they have abnormal growths growing out of 2 knuckles - lumps to each side - of two fingers and the other knuckles on the same hand are slightly oversized. The other hand is completely normal. I don't know whether the growths are bone or cartilage. They stick out from the knuckle by about 5mm and are about 7mm in diameter. They are firm to the touch. That hand was xrayed when dc was 4 or 5, no idea whether this is relevant or not. No pain. Very good fine motor skills with that hand.

I am seeing a doctor and no doubt will be referred to a specialist and this is just to try to get my head around what I might be looking at.

If you know about this sort of thing if you could answer these questions I would be very grateful:

• would the GP be able to confirm whether or not the lumps are benign or would further investigations be needed?
• what further investigations are likely to be needed and how long before we have some kind of firm advice and how likely is it that they will want to operate?

If you have a good guess about what the lumps might be please do say!

TIA

I have just consulted dr google and think it might be pachydermodactyly, it would make sense. And it is benign so that is great too. If anyone has expert knowledge about pachydermodactyly that would be wonderful.

I have no idea about this but my 14 year old daughter has boney lumps on the top of her feet. We once mentioned it to a GP when she went about something else and they didn’t seem bothered but they are a pain for getting shoes that don’t rub on them....

I don't have knowledge of the condition you mention or bone growths in children. However, I thought I'd share a positive story in case it helps to give reassurance.

My dad lost two fingers in a crush accident many years ago. Some years on from that, he developed a bone growth around the knuckle area of one of the remaining fingers. He was referred to a hand specialist (yes, there are such people!) and had surgery to remove it because it was causing pain/difficulty moving the finger. It was a fairly straightforward operation and he has had no further problems with growths.

I know it's different circumstances- they may leave your son's for a while if it isn't causing pain/movement problems, or they may decide to remove them. Either way, it's likely that the outcome will be good.

Start with your GP as they can refer you on to a specialist.

Thank you for the replies. The condition I mentioned upthread is caused by repetitive movements and it would fit, actually, so I am hoping it is that, as the nodules go down when the movements stop.

I have just found another condition it might be, which is something that is not caused by movement and can get worse, a tightening which prevents normal movement, and I am hoping it isn't that!

I am going to step away from dr google now and will get it investigated via the dr but I feel less worried, thank you for the replies.

What you mentioned isn’t caused by repetitive movements. It’s idiopathic but more likely to be an immune issue.

@SuzieQQQ thank you, are you referring to pachydermodactyly and if so, by saying it is an immune issue how do you mean? You mean the immune system failing and if so in what respect and why just one hand? What I found when i looked it up was that it was thought it could be calluses caused by repeitive movements quite possibly linked to emotions, ie making calluses almost like those you get on your second finger when hand writing a lot at school - which makes sense looking at his hand. Thanks again if you have more info

@SuzieQQQ we have had a scan and xray and there are no abnormalities in bones, cartilage, no swelling or increase in fluids etc (I am sorry, that is all said in layman terms and I am assuming you are a doctor but I assume also that you know what I mean). It looks like the lumps are skin build up. Benign.

I wasn't sure what you meant by immune issue, but I now assume you meant that the immune response to something was excessive? If that is right I would be grateful if you could say whether there might be reasons for this, whether there is anything else I should keep an eye out for in years to come, any other significance I should be aware of in your experience? It seems it is unusual so the more input the better. TIA!