Piezogenic papules are protrusions of fat just beneath skin.

Signs and symptoms

They present as multiple

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or large bumps characteristically on the

heels The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exert ...

and wrists. Most are

asymptomatic In medicine, any disease is classified asymptomatic if a patient tests as carrier for a disease or infection but experiences no symptoms. Whenever a medical condition fails to show noticeable symptoms after a diagnosis it might be considered asy ...

and pain is rare, although some may present with pain before the bumps are noticed. They generally occur bilaterally and display a yellowish to skin-color. They may feel soft or firm.

Cause and risks

The bumps are caused by pressure. There may be an association with

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, and around a third of individuals with Ehlers–Danlos syndrome may have them. Risk factors include

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athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...

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, and

long-distance running Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance running comes two d ...

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is by its appearance. If present in a child it may appear similar to juvenile aponeurotic fibroma.

Treatment

Generally, no treatment is required. They usually disappear when pressure is relieved; avoidance of prolonged standing, taping foot, compression stockings, heel cups, padding devices.

Epidemiology

Piezogenic papules are relatively common; in one small population-based study, the prevalence was found to be 76%. The same study found that it was not unusual to demonstrate the bumps when pressing a person's wrist.

History

The term was first coined by W. B. Shelley and Rawnsley, who first described them in 1968.

References

External links

{{Medical resources , ICD10 = , ICD9 = , ICDO = , OMIM = , DiseasesDB = , MedlinePlus = , eMedicineSubj = article , eMedicineTopic = 1081728 , MeSH = , GeneReviewsNBK = , GeneReviewsName = , Orphanet = Skin conditions resulting from physical factors