# Question for the Doper MDs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-doper-mds/293584>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 8, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-doper-mds/293584 "2005-03-08T22:45:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-doper-mds/293584/1 "2005-03-08T22:45:43Z")

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Obligatory preface: I’m asking because I asked my physician, not going around him.

I’ve had this slowly growing hard lump on the side of my right pinkie for a while now (multiple years). It usually doesn’t bother me, except for occasionally getting in the way, but recently occasionally throbs mildly.

I showed it to my doc, and explained that I figured it was a calcium growth related to a childhood injury, but I wanted to rule out something weird like bone cancer. He said that it was a something-that-starts-with-an-H Node, and it was not of much concern, and actually not much can be done about it.

What is the name, and what is the affliction?

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**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-doper-mds/293584/2 "2005-03-08T23:05:31Z")

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Haversian, maybe? That’s a bone word.

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-doper-mds/293584/3 "2005-03-08T23:11:42Z")

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heberden’s node

[http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/ques.asp?qakey=7328](http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/ques.asp?qakey=7328)

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**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-doper-mds/293584/4 "2005-03-08T23:17:30Z")

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> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#):
>
> heberden’s node
> 
> [http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/ques.asp?qakey=7328](http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/ques.asp?qakey=7328)

Thanks, **Qadgop**. That’s the word, and the definition is just what I thought prior to talking to my doctor.

I’ve assumed it’s the result of nearly cutting off my finger at that joint when a pocketknife closed on it as a teenager.