X-ray Evaluation of Corns

This patient suffered from a painful soft corn (heloma molle) deep in the web space between the fourth and fifth toes. These corns develop because of pinching of the skin between the bones of adjacent toes. Because of water retention in the interdigital space, the corn often has a soft consistency. The wire marks the position of the corn. Marks were made on the x-ray film to indicate bone to be removed during surgery.

A wire x-ray marker is placed over a “soft corn” (heloma molle) on the big toe. This resulted from pressure of the first and second toes pressing together in the shoe. If the corn doesn’t resolve by wearing wider shoes, a small amount of bone can be removed surgically to correct the problem.

This patient suffered from a painful corn on the top-outside margin of the fifth toe. The wire x-ray marker surrounds the corn. Note the small bone spur beneath the marker. Even slight shoe pressure can cause a painful corn when a spur is present.

This patient suffered from a painful soft corn (heloma molle) deep in the web space between the fourth and fifth toes. These corns develop because of pinching of the skin between the bones of adjacent toes. Because of water retention in the interdigital space, the corn often has a soft consistency. The wire marks the position of the corn. Marks were made on the x-ray film to indicate bone to be removed during surgery.

This film was exposed several weeks after the surgery. The corn has resolved. Note that bone has been resected from the fourth and fifth toes, as indicated in the previous x-ray.

There is severe contracture at the first (proximal interphalangeal) joint of the third and fourth toes. This results in a deformity called hammer toe. There is also deviation of the third toe towards the outside (lateral) border of the foot, with resulting overlap of the fourth toe.