hard and swollen knot in left leg calf; is this a blood clot?

by j hipps
(greensboro, nc)

i have ms; have very poor muscular strength; dropped the 5 gal bucket of paint as I attempted to move it; I had no strength to hold bucket, fell approximately 3ft on to my left leg area . front and especially the calf area and of course the left foot. I have attempted to handle issue myself, but, I have noticed a "large hard sensitive knot about the size of a lemon" that is not going down in swelling, etc.

please advise possibility of "blood clot"
my personal doctor is out of the country until Wednesday morning; I am setting up an appointment with him immediately ..but until then..pls advise of concerns to look for, etc.

RESPONSE

Hi,

I cannot possibly make this kind of diagnosis from the other side of the internet and since one of the possibilities is that of a blood clot, I won't even guess the actual nature of the problem.

I will say that if you suspect you may have a blood clot, waiting three more days to see your MD is not the smartest move you could make. The smarter move would be to immediately go to the Emergency Room of your local hospital.

If indeed you do have a blood clot the quicker it is diagnosed, the better, primarily because a blood clot has the potential to be a very serious problem.

The Emergency Room, unlike you doctor's, office will be able to perform the necessary tests to determine if there is a clot or not. A doctor may suspect a blood clot but a venous ultrasound is a test that actually determines whether or not there is a clot. Unless your MD also happens to be a vascular specialist, he will not have this equipment in the office and would probably end up sending you to the hospital for the test.

In most cases of DVT, or deep venous thrombosis, there will be calf pain, with or without the formation of the lump (that you have). Additionally, since the blood flow back to the heart is being impeded there will also be some degree of swelling in the foot and ankle.

The lower leg may also be red in color.

One of the major causative factors of a blood clot in the leg is trauma. Since you unfortunately fell and hit your leg, there is a possibility that a clot developed.

There are other possible explanations for the large lump on your calf, such as a muscle contusion, or even a partial muscle tear, but both these conditions offer no inherent medical complications, whereas a blood clot does.

The problem with a deep venous blood clot is that the clot could break off and travel through your body, most likely ending up in your lung, which is known as a pulmonary embolism which can have catastrophic consequences.

So, in my opinion, if you feel there is a possibility of a blood clot, then you should have it examined by a doctor immediately, not three days from now.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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