Is the Bump On My Hand or Wrist a Tumor?

Any time a person develops an abnormal lump or bump on their hand or wrist, it can be considered a tumor. However, there is no need to panic if you see a growth on your hand or wrist. While the word “tumor” of course has some negative connotations, not all tumors are malignant or cancerous. On the contrary, the majority of the hand tumors and wrist tumors we treat at our Macomb County practice are benign (meaning they are not cancerous).

The hand is comprised of many types of tissue (including bone, blood vessels, nerves, tendons, ligaments, fat, skin, etc). This means that there are many types of hand tumor and wrist tumor that can occur. Hand tumors can occur on the skin in the form of moles or warts, for example. But hand tumors and wrist tumors can also occur in the soft tissue underneath the skin, and even on the bone.

Only a few of these hand and wrist tumors, however, are common. In this article specialized Macomb County hand doctor Uzma Rehman, MD explains the most frequent causes of hand tumors. However he best way to determine what the “lump or bump” on your hand or wrist is, is to see a board certified hand surgeon, like Dr. Rehman in Macomb County.

Common Causes of Hand & Wrist Tumors, Lumps & Bumps

Out of the many kinds of hand tumor and wrist tumor in existence, the ganglion cyst is the most common. Ganglion cysts typically occur at in the wrist, but can also be found around the finger joints or at the base of the fingers. While this kind of hand tumor / wrist tumor is usually very hard to the touch, they are typically filled with fluid.

The second most common form of hand tumor / wrist tumor our Macomb County patients develop is known as the giant cell tumor of the tendon sheath. This kind of hand tumor / wrist tumor is solid (unlike ganglion cysts), and usually develops slowly over time. Fortunately, hand tumors and wrist tumors such as these are not cancerous.

Another common form of hand tumor / wrist tumor is the epidermal inclusion cyst. Epidermal inclusion cysts, which are also benign, form directly below the skin in places where a cut or puncture may have occurred. Hand tumors / wrist tumors such as these are filled with a soft, waxy material called keratin.

At our Macomb County practice, we also treat a variety of other, less common forms of hand tumor / wrist tumor. These include the fatty hand tumors called lipomas, nerve hand tumors called neuromas, nerve sheath tumors, fibromas, and glomus tumors, just to name a few. Fortunately for our Macomb County patients, almost all such cases of hand tumor / wrist tumor are benign.

Lumps & Bumps on the Hand & Wrist that Aren’t Tumors

Something as simple as a foreign object, such as a splinter, or embedded thorn or cactus spine, can also cause reactions that form lumps or bumps in the hand.

A condition called Dupuytren’s Contracture, which is marked by the thickening or knotting of the hand’s tissue just below the skin of the palm, may occasionally be incorrectly believed to be a hand tumor. Instead, this condition is simply the result of collagen naturally building up within the hand.

Finally, Macomb County patients occasionally misdiagnose blood vessel growths as being other kinds of hand tumor or wrist tumor. One such example is the hemangioma, which is a benign lump of blood vessels that occur when small blood vessels multiply at an abnormal rate. Fortunately, hemagniomas rarely become cancerous, so treatment rarely involves surgery.

Diagnosing Wrist & Hand Tumors, Lumps & Bumps

To determine our what kind of hand tumor or wrist tumor our patients have, specialized Macomb County hand doctor Uzma Rehman, MD will first perform a medical exam and review the patient’s medical history. To evaluate joints, bones, or soft tissue of the hand or wrist, an X-ray may be implemented. The diagnosis of a hand tumor / wrist tumor may be further aided by ultrasounds, CT, MRI, or bone scans. In order to confirm a diagnosis prior to making a treatment recommendation, Dr. Rehman may also order a needle biopsy or incisional biopsy, during which a small sample of the hand tumor / wrist tumor may be cut out.

Treating Wrist & Hand Tumors, Lumps & Bumps

Many hand and wrist lumps and bumps can be treated non-surgically. For other Macomb County patients experiencing a hand tumor or wrist tumor, surgery may be the most viable option. Through surgery, board certified Macomb County hand surgeon Dr. Rehman can analyze the hand tumor / wrist tumor and determine precisely what type of growth it is. Many of the hand tumor and wrist tumor surgeries we perform are done on an outpatient basis.

Once their hand tumor or wrist tumor has been deemed non-cancerous, some of our Macomb County patients chose to forgo treatment and simply live with their tumor. While this is sometimes a safe option, if a patient’s hand tumor or wrist tumor increases in size, becomes painful, experiences skin discoloration, or otherwise changes in any way, the patient should return to Macomb County board certified hand surgeon Dr. Rehman for reevaluation.

Hand & Wrist Tumor Doctors – Macomb County

Macomb County board certified hand surgeon Dr. Rehman has diagnosed and treated thousands of lumps, bumps and tumors on the wrist and hand. She can diagnose your condition and help you choose the best treatment plan!

Macomb County Hand & Wrist Tumor Doctor: 248.335.2638