HomeAnswersOrthopedician and Traumatologybony spursWhat are the chances for the bony lump on my foot to be malignant?

I have a bony lump on the side of my foot. Could it be malignant?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

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Published At October 23, 2017
Reviewed AtAugust 8, 2023

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am a 32-year-old healthy woman. A few days ago, I noticed a small bony lump on the side of my foot below my ankle, which was not symmetrical on the other foot. It was a small sharp bony protrusion of around 1.5 mm and I could see it through my skin. I am very sure I did not have this thing before say one year ago or so. There was no pain when I touched it and no inflammation was visible. I have attached a photo of it as well. You can easily see the pointy bony protrusion from that position. My question is can this be a benign bone spur or is it possibly something more serious? Is that spot on my foot typical for bone spurs? I have been walking a lot lately since I have a 10-month-old baby and I did feel my ankles getting a bit strained after each walk. Should I go to a doctor now or can I just monitor it and see what it does? Also, can bone spurs continue to grow or only malignant stuff do? Many thanks for any information.

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

This seems to be benign. So, you should not worry. But any bony spur (a bony projection that develops along the edges of bones) or growth always warrants an X-ray, So get an X-ray of the affected foot in anteroposterior, lateral, and oblique views and an X-ray of the affected ankle in anteroposterior and lateral views. Follow up with the X-rays. Do not delay in taking the X-rays. You can either show me the X-rays or visit your local orthopedic doctor and further decisions will be taken after seeing the X-rays. Generally, benign and malignant spurs or growth can enlarge. So, I cannot differentiate based on that. This professional advice provided by me stands subject to the actual examination of the report or image and is based entirely on inputs provided to me. It should be correlated with clinical findings.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I went for the X-rays today, but according to the doctor at the hospital, they did not show anything abnormal. The doctor seemed surprised since he could feel the bony protrusion and it feels right on the bone. I have attached the X-ray photos. Hopefully, I did a good job photographing them. I was wondering if it was possible that the position of the foot caused the small bump's protrusion not to be seen. Can that happen? Or say if it was superimposed on other bone parts. I think you still have the previous photo of my foot where you can assess where it should be or can it be something other than the bone? Although, it feels just like a bone and it is on the bone. What should I do next? The doctor at the clinic told me to wait and watch and if it grows in say two to three months then redo the X-rays or have an MRI. Do you agree with this?

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Yes, it can be superimposed on other bony parts since it is so small. If you really want to see it now, then a CT (computed tomography) scan will help. But from your X-rays, I do not think it is a bony swelling. I think it is just a hard tissue swelling not involving the bone. I totally agree with the doctor that if it grows say in one to two months then get an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan done as an MRI will help see soft tissues as well. So, your doctor is right.

Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Thank you for your answer and your help. I have one last question. I traced the bony bump's area on my foot and on the X-ray and it is exactly in the spot that I have circled on the X-ray photo I have attached. Does that whitish bone margin look normal? Because that is pretty much where the bony protrusion is.

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Yes, that is a pretty good observation, but it may or may not be the swelling exactly as the circled part is deep and the swelling looks pretty superficial. So, it may not be the exact bump, It is very difficult to say, but do not be stressed about it as it looks pretty benign. Just keep a close watch on its growth and nothing else. An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan can surely diagnose it if you really want to know exactly what it is.

Thank you.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Sharoff Lokesh Mohan
Dr. Sharoff Lokesh Mohan

Orthopedician and Traumatology

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