What can cause swelling in the leg?

Q: I am a 44 year old man. Since few years I am suffering from a problem in my right leg. There is a fairly large internal swell in 3 places. A - on the right side of my thigh. B - on right part of my knee (not visible when the leg is folded but very prominently visible only when straightened). C - on the left side of the ankle. Sometimes there is a shooting pain from A - it comes and goes, when I press B and C, I feel a tingling nerve pain. Also in the area between B and C at various times I experience numbness and shooting pain. Once it was diagnosed as BURSA. It could also be a nerve related problem. And now adding to all this for last 4 or 5 days I am experiencing pain in the two opposite corners of my toes. I am quite worried. Please advise.

A:It is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis without examining you. Common causes of swellings like these are:1. Neurofibromas 2. Bursas Neurofibromas are benign masses that are present just under the skin. They ordinarily do not cause symptoms. In a few patients these masses may cause shooting pain. Treatment may not be required; if the mass causes pain, or if there is marked increase in size, or if it interferes with clothes/ shoes etc, the mass can be removed. Surgery for removal of the mass can usually be done under local anaesthetic.Bursas are swellings that are connected to the joints. These swellings are therefore present only at the knee, rarely at the ankle. A bursa does not appear in the thigh. Bursas can get complicated by bursitis , which is a condition associated with marked swelling and pain.Please consult your surgeon for the swellings. Bursas are usually treated by orthopaedic surgeons.