Can a fingertip injury result in osteolytic lesions?

Question

Hello doctor,

I experienced an injury to my fingertip during a pillow fight, and I believe it might have been bent backwards. Immediately after the incident, I felt pain and noticed swelling. The finger has a slight bend towards the palm side, and even after three days, it is still extremely sensitive to touch.

An X-ray revealed no fractures and a normal joint. But, the X-ray did show three osteolytic lesions on the distal phalanx of my ring finger, which is the exact location of the injury.

I am wondering if these lytic lesions are a result of the trauma to my finger. These lesions seem to be isolated to the finger that was injured.

Could this be a case of a jammed finger?

Currently, I am following the RICE protocol, using Fastum gel, and wearing a finger splint. Do you think these measures are sufficient for treating this? Also, what might be the expected healing time for this type of injury?

Kindly clarify.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thank you for your inquiry.

I have reviewed your X-rays (attachments removed to protect the patient's identity). Firstly, I would like to clarify that the lytic lesion you mentioned is not a result of the recent trauma. It appears to be an incidental finding that was present prior to the injury. The injury simply drew attention to it.

Additionally, I observed just one lytic lesion, and I can even detect a fracture in one of the bone's outer layers (cortex). This fracture could be the cause of your pain and swelling. My recommendation would be to buddy strap your ring finger to your middle finger, which involves taping them together. This approach will facilitate healing of the fracture. In many cases, lytic lesions tend to resolve on their own after a fracture occurs.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions or concerns.

Thank you.