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Plantar fibromas can appear in anyone, and they have no confirmed cause, but you might be more likely to develop one if you are:
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If you get plantar fibromas frequently, you might be diagnosed with plantar fibromatosis, a condition that means you’ve shown a tendency to develop future plantar fibromas. Plantar fibromas are always benign, which means they’re never a symptom (or cause) of cancer. You might not even notice one at first, but eventually a plantar fibroma can cause foot pain, especially when you’re wearing shoes. Plantar fibromas are small - usually less than an inch - and grow on the arch of your foot. What is a plantar fibroma?Ī plantar fibroma is a rare benign growth on your plantar fascia, the rubber band-like ligament that stretches from your heel to your toes. He is an Associate Member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.Plantar fibroma growing on the arch of a foot. Michael Coyer, DPM, AACFAS, a foot and ankle surgeon with offices in Orange County, California, is board certified in both foot surgery and reconstructive rearfoot and ankle surgery by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. The sooner we are able to properly evaluate the bump, the sooner a patient can have peace of mind and move forward with treatment, whether surgical or nonsurgical, so they may resume everyday activity.įor more information on foot bumps or to find a foot and ankle surgeon near you, visit, the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeon's patient education website. Remember, foot bumps do not tend to go away on their own. If it is indeed cancer, the foot and ankle surgeon will perform surgery to remove the mass in tandem with an oncologist for cancer treatment. A tissue sample from the biopsy is then sent to a lab, and advanced imaging or an MRI may be used to gauge more information about the mass. Surgery to remove the mass is an option for patients who continue to experience pain following nonsurgical approaches.įor foot bumps that are suspected of being cancerous, we perform a biopsy on the area. Nonsurgical treatments, such as steroid injections, physical therapy or orthotic devices, may help relieve any discomfort but will not make the fibroma disappear. These bumps tend to be less than an inch in diameter but can get larger over time. These often painless, benign masses are fibrous, hard nodules found within the ligament of the foot and are especially common in the arch area on the bottom of the foot. The best way to keep a ganglionic cyst from recurring is to have it surgically removed by a foot and ankle surgeon.Īnother common type of lump found in feet are plantar fibromas. The cyst will not go away on its own and tends to return, even after being drained. A ganglionic cyst can be caused by a leaking of jelly-like fluid from the "capsule" surrounding a joint or tendon and may be located on the top of the foot, near an ankle joint or even on the side of the foot. This soft, fluid-filled sac is a benign (noncancerous) bump found on the tendons and joints. The most common type of lump found in the foot is a soft-tissue mass called a ganglionic cyst. But a lump found in the foot has a possibility of being cancerous, and for this reason, must not be ignored. They may or may not hurt or cause changes in daily activity. They can also vary in location, from the arch of the foot to the ankle area or elsewhere. I always explain that because bumps on feet can signal both serious and non-serious conditions, it is always best to have all lumps and bumps properly examined by a foot and ankle surgeon.īumps on feet can vary in size, from that of a pea to the size of a golf ball. "I've got this lump on my foot-what could it be?" As a foot and ankle surgeon, I am asked this question quite frequently. Foot & Ankle Surgeon from Orange County, CaliforniaĪssociate Member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons