Finger lump

[AbsoFrickingLuteley]

Hi I've name changed

I've got a lump growing inside my finger and not sure what I might be. Any advice welcome. Sorry just posting for traffic, my mother in law has suggested it could be a tumour but I cant get a doctors appointment til the new year and I'm starting to freak out a bit so posting here. Photo below.

Having taken photos it doesn't look like anything. It's on the first knuckle, shows white in the first photo and the side profile is supposed to show the lump. Its growing daily and is not sore. It is firm.

I had two of these on my finger joints. Diagnosed as ganglion cysts. GP referred for removal. One popped over the summer before the procedure came up so that may come back. Other removed under local in an operating theatre, needed stitches and dressing for two weeks. I kept checking I was there for cyst removal as it all seemed a bit excessive. It was very much embedded in the finger joint and they explained that if not removed they can make your fingers crooked.

Best to get to the GP. I'm early 50s and it's just been an age thing.

My GP also dismissed any idea of arthritis, she said she'd only expect to see finger cysts in advanced arthritis and very crooked hands.

It could be Heberden’s nodes. I have them on all my fingers and it started with just one the same as your photo.

How strange, I have exactly the same thing, in exactly the same place, mine has been there for a couple of months now. Initially it was hard, like bone, but the last few days it's a bit softer and very slightly movable, so I'm guessing ganglion!

Myxoid cyst. I had mine removed 10 months ago. Mine was slightly further down and was making a dent in my nail.

They removed the cyst but also scraped away bone spurs as well. I haven’t had any arthritic pain since but my finger will never be the same again. It looks ugly and I can’t fully bend it as before.

About 25 years ago I had a lump on my wrist- docs said ganglion cyst and told me to whack it with 'the family bible' - PMSL like we have a family bible! It just went away on it's own after a couple of years and wasn't painful luckily.

Sometimes I wish modern medicine wasn't quite so modern. First time I had one of these, my GP whacked it with a big book. Fixed it for a good 20 years. Next time, about 15 years ago, GP aspirated it on the spot. It's been back for 2 years now and has a little sister on the next finger, but they won't be treated unless/until they make the fingers unusable.

Anybody want to come round and brutally assault my fingers??

I came to say this. Mine started just like this in my 40's. Slow to progress thankfully but can be sore.

Do you have rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis? Could be a nodule.

So, DO NOT WHACK IT, there's many reasons not to.

I can't remember the name of it (believe it was a myxoid cyst) but I too had one just "appear" on my left hand pointer finger but in the PIP joint (yours is the DIP joint) . I looked it up, made myself panic, and booked a same-day appointment with orthopedic doctor near work.

The docs office examined it, took an x-ray and told me it would go away on its own (it did) and that I have mild arthritis in my left hand and nothing to worry about.... well my finger still hurts from time to time but I must say "knowing" that I have arthritis starting makes me a little less tough on my hands.

Amen 😂😂😂😂😂😂

I had similar and after an Xray diagnosed as arthritis.

Thanks all, will book a GP appointment to get it checked.

I had similar - slightly tender and a small hard lump. Dermatologist didn't think it was a ganglion because it was too hard. He ordered an x ray. It was revealed to be a minor osteoarthritis change and an unremarkable scan. It calmed down as I tried to rest the finger a bit but I think I have the lump forever. I too treat my hands a bit more gently. Don't drop a book on it in the meantime.

It does look like a ganglion. I've one on my wrist. It comes and goes. It's on a nerve so does get painful. Can't get it removed because it's too close to a vein.

I vote for Heberden node too. I have several on my fingers - same place as yours. All started like that. Is there any arthritis in your family?

If you've only just noticed it, and it's not sore. It may well go away just as swiftly as it arrived.

Could be, like others have said, a ganglion cyst - harmless. Or could be a mild infection.

I got a bramble spike in my finger and it swelled up like this and looked deformed. Seemed like part of the bone. 6 months on it is reducing to a normal size