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What is wrong with my fingers?

Dr Pankaj Kaw
Consultant, Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine,
Thomas Jefferson University,
USA

Q: I am working as an office assistant and using computer every day. I stopped working with my right hand after my little finger started burning. Since last 2-3 years my right hand’s small finger and right side of ring finger is burning (there is no pain. It is just burning and starts as soon as I wake up). When I roll my fingers, it starts burning more. After burning for sometime both burning fingers become numb. Whenever some object touches to my small finger suddenly then is unbearable pain and it remains for 1-2 minutes. The pain is so severe that water comes out from my eyes. I can hold papers or anything between my burning fingers, but not for too long. I did an ulnar nerve function test which was normal and so was the neck X-ray. I have taken lots of painkillers and applied ointments also. Please suggest.

A:Your symptoms of excruciating pain on the finger tip is suggestive of a glomus tumour which is a benign tumour (hamartoma) developing from the neuromyoarterial glomus bodies that regulate blood flow in the skin. They present with classic triad of pain, tenderness and cold sensitivity and there can be multiple tumours in 25% of patients. Recurrent excruciating pain on touch is the hallmark of it. Because the glomus is richly vascularised, it shows marked contrast enhancement on MRI after IV injection of gadolinium. I would suggest you to see a Hand Surgeon if possible to rule out this condition particularly since as you said your ulnar nerve test came out negative.