Amputation

Blood cyst

03/12/2008 07:26AM

Question:

My lft leg was amputed (AK ) for cancer two years ago,witin the last 4 months a cyst started to enlarge in the posterior end of the stump 4 cm,I continue to wear the artificial leg, last week I woke up with dark-red blood coming out of the cyst continuously through a small hole, now a clot blocks the hole and the cyst is filld again,please let me know what is it and what to do?, I can`t put on my artificial leg now as before.

Answer:

The cause of the cyst needs to be diagnosed to determine the appropriate treatment, and until then, if you are unable to wear your prosthesis, unfortunately you may have to walk with crutches or a walker, or possibly use a wheelchair for distances, depending on your overall physical condition.

One possible cause could be that your prosthetic socket no longer fits as well as it did before the cyst appeared, as could result from a change in size or shape of your residual limb from weight gain, weight loss, or fluid retention (edema). If you think this could be the case, consult with your prosthetist to discuss possible socket modification or replacement.

If, however, you feel your socket fits as well now (except for the difficult fit due to the cyst itself) as it did before the cyst appeared, and there's been no change in your residual limb size/shape, consult with the surgeon who performed your amputation, who may wish to perform X-rays to see if a bone spur may have formed at the end of your residual femur (thigh bone), and/or possibly an MRI scan, given your history of cancer, just to be on the safe side.

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Response by:

Brian L. Bowyer, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical PM&R
OSU Sports Medicine and Family Health Center
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University