Lymph nodes in ankles

ShadyGuy
ShadyGuy Member Posts: 923 Member
in Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin) #1

has anyone ever had a swollen lymph node in an ankle? I have a round nodule about halfway between my ankle joint and heel on my right foot. first noticed it 2 days and it has since doubled in size To about the size of a small marble. It is painless.  As usual, the internet says either 1). There are no lymph nodes in the feet or 2) there are lymph nodes in the feet. Take your choice.

Comments

  • PBL
    PBL Member Posts: 369 Member
    #2
    Any other explanation?

    I am, of course, not an expert in the anatomy of the lymphatic system, but it seems that the most distal lymph node in the human leg can be found about mid-shaft of the tibia...

    Could it be a cyst?

     

  • ShadyGuy
    ShadyGuy Member Posts: 923 Member
    edited April 2017 #3
    Talked to onc

    He says it not likely a lymph node but bears an exam because lymphoma tumors can occur anywhere there is blood in the body. If not in a node it is referred to as "extranodal". He will take a look and if deemed necessary biopsy it.

  • PBL
    PBL Member Posts: 369 Member
    #4
    Glad you found a professional answer!

    ... Do keep us posted.

  • ShadyGuy
    ShadyGuy Member Posts: 923 Member
    edited April 2017 #5
    Will do

    My gp says it is an odd spot for lymphoma but it does not fit the mold for a typical cyst either. That is because it is soft and flexible, does not hurt and is not inflamed which would be expected with a cyst or infection. Going to ask them to remove it when I see the oncologist in late April. I have been in remission for 4 years now. A few odd symptoms, lumps and knots  and few questionable areas on scans but no real evidence of relapse. Blood work is normal except White count is low (3.8) and red count is only marginally inside the normal range. However this makes me a bit nervous because my first visible lymphoma symptom was a large soft lump that appeared on my shoulder blade and grew to half golf ball size in just a couple of days. It too was painless. Time will tell. I feel very fortunate. 

  • Lendsley1LE
    Lendsley1LE Member Posts: 1
    edited September 2018 #6

    In searching for a cause for the lump in my foot I saw your post.  Mine is exactly like you described.  What was your outcome?  I just noticed this on my right foot and left seems to have the same but much smaller.

  • ShadyGuy
    ShadyGuy Member Posts: 923 Member
    #7
    Who knows

    Lymphoma is blood cancer and can occur anywhere there is blood. It is not restricted to lymph nodes. About 40% (?) of tumors are extranodal. It was determined that my indolent FNHL was chronic and widespread. It came and went over a several year period and was repeatedly missed. I was prescribed a lot of antibiotics which did not seem to help. As for the ones in my ankle last year, it caused my onc put me “on watch” for relapse. After 6 months I was scanned and found to be in relapse with tumors deep in my chest. The lumps in my ankle are now gone. They were never biopsied so I will never know for sure if they were lymphoma. My non-professional advice would be to request a biopsy. Once again, in my non-professional opinion, with no prior history of lymphoma, you most likely do not have lymphomas in your ankles so there is probably no rush in getting a biopsy. In the unlikely event your lumps are lymphoma, it is very treatable.

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,819 Member
    #8
    ShadyGuy said:

    Who knows

    Lymphoma is blood cancer and can occur anywhere there is blood. It is not restricted to lymph nodes. About 40% (?) of tumors are extranodal. It was determined that my indolent FNHL was chronic and widespread. It came and went over a several year period and was repeatedly missed. I was prescribed a lot of antibiotics which did not seem to help. As for the ones in my ankle last year, it caused my onc put me “on watch” for relapse. After 6 months I was scanned and found to be in relapse with tumors deep in my chest. The lumps in my ankle are now gone. They were never biopsied so I will never know for sure if they were lymphoma. My non-professional advice would be to request a biopsy. Once again, in my non-professional opinion, with no prior history of lymphoma, you most likely do not have lymphomas in your ankles so there is probably no rush in getting a biopsy. In the unlikely event your lumps are lymphoma, it is very treatable.

    Nodes

    Shady,

    'Gray's Anatomy' type charts show nodes almost everywhere in the body, as far down as the feet. The largest masses are where the disease is usually first detected: Axillary (armpits), sub-mandibular (below the jaw and neck), center chest, and groin/pelvic region.  First discovery there makes simple statistical sense. I asked an oncology NP once why nodes are not felt in the legs, and she said "they are usually too deep in heavy muscle there to be palpable."  Only the cranium is considered wholly node-free, although as you mentioned, extra-nodal disease does occur there.  A 2015 study established that there are lymphatic-like vessels that drain the brain, but these are not yet well understood (link below).

    Some folks feel the "first" cancerous node they ever have. I was the radical opposite: despite heavy masses of grossly enlarged nodes in every region of my body, I have never felt an enlarged node anywhere, ever. My axillary, clavical and pelvic regions were covered, as well as the spleen, heart cavity, and nodes were wrapped around the esophagus also.   My biopsy node, from the left axillary, was golfball-sized. The surgeon said he had several adjacent to it that he could have chosen from.  But two days before, my family doctor had probed and pushed that area for over a minute (because of my CT results) and he said he couldn't feel anything. Then he retried, and said "I might have one here."

    Hence, I have never had a lot of confidence in discovering lymphoma via enlarged nodes, although I am aware that is a common thing.

    My impressionistic first thought would be that your lump is not the disease. I hope not. But I too would get it checked.  It seems like an extremely easy, low risk site to excise the node out of as an outpatient.

    max

    1. Highlight. 2. Right click.  3. Click on "Go to...." 

    http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2016/how-a-newly-discovered-body-part-changes-our-understanding-of-the-brain-and-the-immune-system/

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