Talk me down - lump behind knee/calf on 20 month old

[CandleRigg89]

Hi all. I’m having near panic attacks over this and am not sure if I’m rational or not (prone to anxiety).

I discovered a small lump/bump area just below the back of his knee/top of his calf. It doesn’t seem to be painful, is very soft and squishy, I think it can be moved about, and feels like disappears entirely when pressed into/he bends his knee. I’m not sure if it’s been there forever, or if it’s new, as in some positions you can’t feel it at all.

Took him to docs yesterday who felt it (after not being able to find it until I showed her) and said it feels like it’s maybe a lymph node, but it’s an unusual place for them to pop up, but we have all just been floored with another nursery virus over the last week and he had high temp thurs- sat last week. Also said maybe a cyst but wasn’t sure if children could get them there. She was honest and said she wasn’t sure on the pathway as she wasn’t hugely experienced with paediatric lumps and bumps, and would contact the team at the children’s hospital to find out if they advise monitoring or if they want to bring him in to check.

She did say she didn’t think it was concerning when I asked her. She said it was very subtle and she didn’t feel concerned.

But I am freaking out. I’ve convinced myself he has soft tissue cancer. I can see us getting chemo. I feel sick, can’t eat, barely sleeping. I’m helping no one, and my husband thinks I’m mildly insane but it’s just unexplainably knocked me for six. I feel like someone has just diagnosed him.

does anyone have any similar experiences at all? Does this sound like I can safely wait for the outcome with minimal worry or should I be pushing for more?

Sounds like a baker's cyst. My daughter was about the same age when I noticed hers at the back of her knee and she still has it at the age of 21.

That’s amazing to know. Everything seems to suggest baker’s Cyst is extremely rare under 2 (although I know so is soft tissue cancer in general) so it’s good to know you had a similar experience at a similar age.

was your daughter’s right in the centre? His is kind of off centre to the left and below the knee crease, but I think moves further down if you push it.

My son - maybe around age 4/5?) - once had a random lump like that on his shin and Dr Google of course said cancer! I took him to the doctors then was pointed to hospital for it to be checked out and he was x-rayed really quickly and it was all fine. Nothing sinister, nothing explained, just one of those random things that the doctor wasn’t worried about at all.

Thank you for sharing! Keep trying to remind myself that bodies can just be weird. i have a random lump that appeared on my hand a couple of years ago and I didn’t think much of it, just thought I’d get it checked if it grew. I wish I could approach this with the same calmness!

Yes, was in the centre as far as I can remember and grew very quickly. She still has it but doesn't cause her too much pain unless she bumps it or exerts herself too much, she had occasional issues during PE class at school when she was younger.
I did the same as you at the time and convinced myself that it was something awful, even after being seen at the hospital it took a while for me to trust that it was just a cyst.

That’s good to know that she’s doing well (aside from the occasional discomfort)

i seem to have absolutely spiralled! I’m now convinced he has lymphoma. Just want to know what this is!!

Just an update for anyone who may stumble across this in the same kind of panic I was!

Was at hospital today and seen a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon, who confirmed it was a cyst. He explained it was similar to a baker’s cyst but the cause is different in childhood, and it’s actually common.

We’re being referred for a non-urgent ultrasound to confirm, but the surgeon couldn’t have been more confident that it was this cyst and was absolutely nothing to worry about!

Hey - what did this turn out to be in the end after the ultrasound?