Foot Problems Related to CLL

[KevinCLLITP]

For the past several months I have had some problem with infection in my right foot which was initially cellulitis anand then viewed to be a super-infection around a cyst like formation. I had a new MRI yesterday and a new potential diagnosis has come up that the cyst is likely an accumulation of CLL cells in the foot, because the area has a gotten larger in the past couple of months and now is filling in the space between the first and second toe, whereas it was in between the second and third toe previously, there has also. been quite a bit of plantar growth. Has anyone ever experienced anything like this? Solution/Resolution? I imagine we will have to radiate or do surgery to remove and radiate?

[lankisterguy Volunteer]

Hi KevinCLLITP,

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I'm sorry that you have not gotten any response from our group. I think you have stumped us with your question.

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First of all, I am not medically trained, so here is a Mechanical Engineer's guess at responding to some of what you ask. In addition to classic CLL, I have a HHV6a infection

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( emedicine.medscape.com/arti...

hhv-6foundation.org/associa... )

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that causes CLL cells (when they are detectable) and T cells to accumulate in a specific layer of my skin, so that I have symptoms of Petechiae & Plaque Psoriasis

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Like my CLL, the HHV6a infection is not curable, but treatable. And like my CLL, any classic cancer treatment may knock down the infection but it comes back quickly after the treatment is stopped.

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So with a huge leap of logic, I would question whether the doctors might biopsy your cyst and possibly the plantar growth ( I assume this is a plantar wart- caused by a virus) to confirm that there is no solid cancer involved. And if no solid cancer is found, I would question whether radiation or other cancer treatments would be used. Surgery would likely be used to remove the cyst only if removal might reduce any pain, but the risk of further bacterial infection would need to be weighed vs. the reduction of symptomatic pain.

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Again, these are wild guesses about what your doctors might propose, I hope you will have a meaningful discussion with your doctors.

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Len

[country76]

I had something on my left third toe in. I thought it was a callous or something. A little painful with my shoe on. It wasn't infected. One day it came off like a little cap. It was strange. Never occured to me it would be related to Cll. Maybe it was just a callous.

[GreenWrythe]

I had a similar thing a few years ago. Initially a big pussy boil thing on the side of my foot which fortunately cleared up with antibiotics. Then a few weeks later on the same foot I had an infected area with a large collection of pus in between my small toe and the one next to it. Antibiotics would not touch it and by then it was very difficult to walk due to the pain.

I hobbled to A&E at St George's in London at the suggestion of the GP and the thing was incised and drained. It healed fast and no further problems since then.