Pie pulled nodules - how dangerous are they?

What are pied nodules?

Pie pulling means something like "triggered by pressure".
And these are pie-peeled nodules too: nodes made of fatty tissue that form on parts of the body that are exposed to high pressure over a long period of time.

They have no disease value, but are often annoying for those affected.
They mainly occur between the ages of 20 and 30.
In addition, men and women are affected equally often.

Lipomas are clearly distinguishable from piezogenen nodules.
You can read what they are and how they arise in our article: Lipomas - Everything you need to know

What causes puckered nodules?

The cause of the piezogenen nodules is pressure on the tissue over a long period of time.
The pressure probably causes the fatty tissue to bulge, known as fatty tissue hernias.
These bulge outwards towards the skin.

The pressure can be triggered by various causes.
Furthermore, obesity probably plays an important role in the development of the nodules.

However, they can also occur in athletes of normal weight.
In particular, athletes are affected by piezogenen nodules, which put a lot of strain on the feet.
This includes, for example, endurance athletes.

Standing jobs can also promote the development of the nodules.
Wearing shoes that are too tight or shoes with soles that are too hard can also contribute to the development of nodules.

If you have been feeling pain in your foot for some time and would like to know what the causes could be, then read our article:
Metatarsal pain - this is the cause

How do you treat a puckered nodule?

Treatment is not necessary in most cases due to the lack of symptoms.
However, if there is discomfort or pain, various things can be tried to relieve the pressure on the affected areas.
If overweight is the possible cause, weight reduction should take place.
This will reduce the pressure and the symptoms can go away.

Gel inserts that are placed in the shoes can also improve the symptoms.
Compression socks or bandages, which prevent the fatty tissue from leaking out when pressure is applied, can also be worn.

If these measures do not bring any improvement, the nodules - even several at once - can be removed by a small operation.
For this, a small incision is made into the subcutis (i.e. the area under the skin where the fatty tissue is located) and the nodules are removed.
After about two weeks, the threads are pulled.
A full load is then possible again approximately one week after the seam has been removed.

For the best advice on losing weight, check out our article: Tips on How to Best Lose Weight

What is the prognosis for a puckered lump?

The prognosis of the piezogenen nodules is very good.
There is no evidence that the nodules can turn into malignant tumors.
Even if the puckered nodules do not cause any discomfort, they will not go away on their own.
Only surgery can completely remove the nodules.
However, a recurrence is still possible.

These are the symptoms you can tell by peeling nodules

Pie pulled nodules rarely cause problems.
They are much more likely to stand out visually.
Single or multiple skin-colored or yellowish nodules then appear on the part of the body that was exposed to the pressure.
This is usually the case on the outer or inner edge of the heel.

The nodules can be up to 5 mm in size.
If it comes to stress, the piezogenen nodules can stand out particularly clearly.
For example, if the nodules are on the heel, the nodules would protrude when standing.

The consistency of the nodules is also different, depending on whether the body region is stressed or not.
So the nodules feel rather soft without stress.
If the part of the body is loaded, the fatty tissue is pushed further outwards. As a result, more fatty tissue emerges and the nodes feel harder.

The puckered nodules do not cause any discomfort in peace.
When exercising, however, a feeling of pressure or pain of varying intensity can occur.

In addition to puckered nodules, there are also so-called lipomas, which can be clearly distinguished as benign tumors.
How these lipomas are noticeable on the foot and with what symptoms they occur can be read in the following article: Lipoma on the sole of the foot - What to do?

Do pied nodules cause pain?

In most cases, those affected by pied nodules do not feel any pain.
When pain occurs, it is usually only felt during exercise.
If further pressure irritates the nerves in the areas where the nodules are located, increased pain can occur.

In most cases, the pain is dull or oppressive.

Location: They are particularly common there

Pie-puckered nodules can occur anywhere where there is long-term pressure.
For example, if overweight is the trigger, the nodules can also appear on the shin.

However, predisposition points are the outer and inner heel edges.
These are heavily stressed in endurance sports, standing jobs and being overweight and are therefore the place where pied nodules are predominantly to be found.

This is how the diagnosis is made by a doctor

First, the anamnesis is in the foreground.
This explains how long the nodules have existed and whether they cause discomfort or not.
It can also be found out whether the person concerned is doing endurance sports, for example.

In addition, the nodules are examined and also palpated and viewed in the loaded and unloaded state.
To be on the safe side, an ultrasound can be carried out in a relaxed and stressful position.
It can be observed how the fat tissue bulges forward into the skin due to the pressure and then disappears again.