Bumps on Sole of Foot

[smccullagh]

Yesterday evening I happened to notice two small bumps on the sole of my right foot. They're about half way back my foot next to my arch. One is around 3mm across and the other around 7 or 8.

They're pinkish in colour (not too dissimilar from the rest of the sole of my foot) but noticably different and have dark patches on them that vary from dark red, to greenish/brownish/blackish and are slightly raised.

Last night they were both very itchy and to the touch felt a little like how a cold sore feels for the first day or so - sensitive and a little painful at the same time, and a little tingley (is that even a word?!).

They're not itchy today, but feel very similar to the touch. The skin around them is a little broken and dry - but I get patches of skin like this on my foot at random, and recently had what could possibly have been either a wart or corn/callous nearer to my toes on the sole of the same foot, and that has just gone away of its own accord after being there for a few months. I didn't get a medical diagnosis on that since the "wonderful" medical system in the UK really has no provision for treatment of things like that without horrendous waiting lists.

I was hoping you could tell me what these small bumps are, and also what I should do about them?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

I'm honestly not sure, though I can't think of anything serious these could be, or anything that requires attention.  They certainly don't sound like warts or calluses.

My general approach to inscrutable eruptions that come on rapidly is to counsel benign neglect.  Left alone, these are likely, I think, to disappear in a couple of weeks.

If they persist, I suppose it would be advisable to sign up for the queue....

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[smccullagh]

Should also have said, I've had athletes foot on and off for a year or so which has recently cleared up to a large extent although still have the odd patch of dry broken skin (mainly on soles and side of feet) as mentioned above.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

They do not sound anything like athlet's foot fungus.

Dr. Rockoff

[smccullagh]

Thanks for your quick reply. They do seem to be a little better again today - not really sensitive at all, and the skin is less tender on them - it appears to be hardening.

Hopefully they'll go away of their own accord!

[workinhard]

If you had the flu or a virus sometimes the virus can come out of your feet and hands like little hard blisters. If you had blisters in your mouth and on feet and hands, also a headache, neck pain, you could have foot and mouth disease which there is nothing to do for either of these diagnoses it will go away in 10 days.

[Turquoise]

It sounds so much like the bout I had with plantar warts.  They are itchy and very painful at first...too painful to walk on.

If that's what it is, it will calm down soon.  I had surgery on mine which was a big waste of time and money.  I was instructed not to let the wound scab over, which I didn't allow to happen, even though the doctor took a huge chunk out of my foot, the crazy thing came back after the flesh filled in again.

I wasn't about to undergo any more senseless medical treatment so I used a little rasp on it regularly (the kind you use on calluses) and eventually it went away on its own.

The doctor is wise to recommend benign neglect...wish I had done that.

I hope you get relief soon.