Last week I had a young girl come into the office. She was complaining of pain and a raised lesion on the bottom of her foot. This lesion had quadrupled in size from the summer. The mass was painful, discolored and raised. I asked her what took her so long to come in and she replied that she was scared.
She came back yesterday and we removed the mass in the office and sent it to pathology. I can't say for sure what it is yet but the important point is that we sent it to pathology. Any mass, discoloration, or growth should be addressed right away. Although in this case the mass may be a wart, or a cyst, there is no guarantee the mass is not cancerous.
In a week or two we will know what exactly this mass is. And from there we can continue treatment. Although she and her mother are happy that she no longer has the mass on the bottom of her foot, I am happy that she came in on time to get it treated!
We often hear patients are "too scared" to come into the office. The would rather ignore the problem than actually deal with it. However, the earlier you are seen and treated, usually the better results. Just like with any health concern, catching a problem earlier usually means a faster and easier recovery. If you are dealing with any unusual foot or ankle problems, stop waiting and get yourself checked!