Weird Bump in Palm

Anybody ever get something like this?

I was climbing at the gym earlier in the week (bouldering). And strained my bicep a bit. But kept climbing as it wasn't super bad. At the end of the night I noticed a marble-sized bump in my palm. I hadn't noticed it while climbing really. I thought maybe it was a bruise/swelling from hitting my palm on a hold while doing a dyno or something? But it's been about 5 days and no bruise. Still just a bump.

It's hard to describe. But it's almost like a tendon or ligament is inflamed, but in a really specific spot. There's no swelling really. It feel like a mass. But it's either attached to or part of a tendon/ligament.

If I press on it, it doesn't really hurt. But if I try to do a pull up, for example, then it hurts because it feels like a marble getting pressed into my palm.

I scheduled a consultation with an orthopedist. But curious if anybody else has come across this?

It appeared, literally, instantly. Not something that came on slowly. And it hasn't changed at all since.

For me its Dupuytren’s contracture. Smaller than marble sized and does not impact my climbing or anything yet. A climber friend has had it for 20 years without issues. Hope that's not your issue, but if it is, rest assured it is manageable.

I'm reading that Dupuytren's Contracture happens over time? This bump literally appeared over the course of two hours. I hope it's not Dupuytren's, because I play guitar and do Judo as well. And that would seriously put a hamper on my life. :(

Best-case, I can think of... maybe a cyst caused by a ruptured tendon/ligament sheath?

But even then, it could require surgery. Fuck.

Relax dude, you will be 50 plus if surgery is ever required. Mine hit me very early in life, but most people have limited impact till the 5th or 6th decade of their life. It only becomes a problem when the knots entangle with tendons, thus contracting them and causing fingers to curl.

Hell,even when curled they fit rock holds great,my ice tools perfectly and the bike handlebars grips fit like custom.

Michael S. Catlett wrote:Relax dude, you will be 50 plus if surgery is ever required. Mine hit me very early in life, but most people have limited impact till the 5th or 6th decade of their life. It only becomes a problem when the knots entangle with tendons, thus contracting them and causing fingers to curl. Hell,even when curled they fit rock holds great,my ice tools perfectly and the bike handlebars grips fit like custom.

Maybe a ganglion cyst. I get those every now and then, but they are more towards the wrist and not the palm. Anyway, can't hurt to try. Slam it down on a hard surface. Mine hurts like he'll when I do that, but it disappears soon thereafter.

Synovitis is another possibility.

In more seriousness:

Could be lots of things.

I get calcium deposits in the tendons in my neck. Large lumps on the tendons that appear suddenly and disappear within a few days as they're broken down. Genetic. Harmless. Has some fancy name which I can't remember.

If it is painful, it is not likely Dupuytren's.....they are benine knots of tissue and generally don't cause pain. Likely a cyst as suggested above. Whatever it is, it can be dealt with and I would not panic. If a a cyst, there are old school ways to deal with it like hitting it with a book....seen it done and it works......that said if you have a good hand specialist in your area you may want to go right to him as he will get right to the heart of the matter.

Good luck and be patient.

It's not painful at rest. But if I try to grab something or lift something that presses at that spot, it's sore. It's definitely on or in the tendon that attaches to my pinky finger. It's almost like the tendon balloons out in that spot and this thing is inside. Like a cyst or liquid formed under the tendon's sheath. Which I guess is the definition of a cyst haha. I'll hopefully know for sure on Wednesday when I see a doctor.

Went to the doctor. He couldn't really tell me what it was. Said it was probably not Dupuytren's because it doesn't move with the tendon. He said it's under the facia of my hand. So not a normal cyst that's just below the skin. Only thing he said was to wait a month and if it doesn't go away then he recommends an MRI to see what it is and go from there.

I've been climbing with it and it does get in the way. When stemming, for example. Seems to get larger/smaller randomly. Probably with irritation from climbing, etc.

Doc said surgery to remove is going to be quite invasive and have a long recovery since he'd have to cut through the facia/muscle in my palm to get to it.

I saw my doc today as I too have a bump about an inch from the junction of my palm and middle finger. Your post got me to ask about it. He said it was the beginning of Dupuytren Contracture.

Saw another doc today for a second opinion. The bump is now a bit larger as well. About the diameter of a quarter.

This doc said his best guess was that because the bump appeared so quickly (over the course of 2 hours), it probably started as a hematoma from banging it on a climbing hold or something. And then scar tissue formed around it.

Or...

It could be that and it triggered Dupuyren's. Since Dupuytren's can be caused by trauma.

Or...

It can could be some type of venous malformation.

Or...

It could be a cyst.

Or...

Who knows.

Trying to schedule an MRI now. If the first doc would have just cut the fucker out when I first went in, it would have been half the size. Now it's huge. I feel like my grip strength is lower because of it. I've been climbing like crap lately at least haha.

Had the MRI and results are:

Palmar fibrosis due to possible hematoma + scarring. So looks like while bouldering I must have knocked my hand pretty hard doing a dyno or something. That caused the hematoma. And the facia of my hand formed scar tissue around it, thickening into a bubble.

Doctor said it shouldn't cause any major damage to keep climbing on it and to deal with the minor pain. And if it hasn't gotten better in like 6 months, to go back in and they can cut it out.

Thanks for the updates - I think I have something similar but it hasn't grown that large. It showed up pretty quickly, like yours. Feels about pea-sized and I think firmer than it was initially. I took a few weeks off and have been easing back into climbing the last few weeks and it doesn't seem to be hurting (other then discomfort I'd have from anything pushed into that spot) or getting bigger.

I'll be anxious to hear how yours ends up.

Well mine isn't gonna end up anywhere really. The doctor said to just live with it. But it is getting larger every week. It has grown in length, moving slowly down my palm and is now about 3 times the size. Yet the doctors (I saw two) say it's literally the muscle tissue in my hand that is thickening/scarring. They don't know why. And if they cut it out, they aren't removing a "thing." They would be removing the actual facia of my hand. So... that would put a huge hamper on any activity I do. So they're said... wait like 6-7 months and then come back if it's a huge deal.

I climb on the reg. But I don't know what else I can do really.

FourT6and2 ... wrote: Well mine isn't gonna end up anywhere really. The doctor said to just live with it. But it is getting larger every week. It has grown in length, moving slowly down my palm and is now about 3 times the size. Yet the doctors (I saw two) say it's literally the muscle tissue in my hand that is thickening/scarring. They don't know why. And if they cut it out, they aren't removing a "thing." They would be removing the actual facia of my hand. So... that would put a huge hamper on any activity I do. So they're said... wait like 6-7 months and then come back if it's a huge deal. I climb on the reg. But I don't know what else I can do really.

Any updates? I have this that’s grown quite quick over weeks, now seems like another connective joint in my hand up from it on same line of bones is becoming enlarged under ring finger. I’ve noticed my phone rests there. My knuckle on other side of lower phone edge the Dr had said I had synovitis, synovial leak a while back. A tad concerning since I’ve noticed it’s right where my phone sits. Any news on yours, @FourT6and2? 

UPDATE:

Bump is still there and yes it has slowly enlarged, lengthening down my palm toward my wrist. It seems to have stopped growing though.
But... same thing popped up in my other hand now. And that one is a little larger. Painful at first. Now not so much.

I saw a third doctor about it and he confirms it's Dupuytren's. Just without the contracting. At least not yet. He said that in his experience, if they try to treat it with either removal (surgery) or injections that help "dissolve" the tissue, that it usually causes the contracture and much faster. So his advice to was to do nothing. Keep climbing until my fingers start to contract and then it's time to look into treating it.

So far, hasn't really interfered with my climbing. But it is annoying and weird. Pullups definitely hurt though since the bar makes contact right on both bumps. Feels like trying to do pullups with a marble under each palm.

Sadly, looks like I've got early stage of Dupuytren's myself. The left hand started almost a year ago and is still just a nodule. The right started about 2 years ago and it now showing signs of turning into the rope. It's self-diagnosed at the moment, but the fact I've had it this long, that it's the ring finger on both hands, and that I'm of mostly Northern European ancestry makes me feel like it's Dupuytren's.

At the moment, the bumps are more tender than they are painful. I don't feel like my climbing is impeded much if at all. Given the length of time it takes for this disease to progress and that there are some new treatments, I'm not planning on doing anything about it medically until I'm forced too. Worst case with surgery would be damage to the tendon which could either temporarily or permanently put an end to my climbing.

In the meantime, I'm interested in knowing what strategies people have for managing Duputren's. I try to stretch each finger tendon out and manipulate the fascia in my palm every time before I climb. I try to avoid cranking on pockets as I feel like those are pretty risky. Some open hand crimps and slopers feel like they are stretching the fascia uncomfortably too. I'm a little nervous about hang boarding too...I do a little 3-4 finger 1/2 crimping but only once or twice a week.

Am I overthinking this? Being overly cautious? Would love to hear from other climbers with the problem.