Did Getting Hit on the Nose Cause Bump, and What Would the Treatment for It Be?

Question

10 yrs ago at age 18 I was hit on the nose. It didn't bleed but hurt a lot & when I had an xray I was told it wasn't broken. At some point later a hard bump formed on one side where I was hit. It really isn't noticeable in person unless you are looking for it, but is very obvious by touch and in photos. It makes my nose look crooked. Can a hit cause a bump like this without it having been broken(or could it just be genetic & a coincidence that it's in the same spot?)& what can be done about it?

Richard J. Bruneteau, MD · Answer

It’s difficult to determine the exact cause of your nasal
bump, but it’s probably related to the traumatic event that occurred ten years
ago. It’s not unusual for X rays to be
negative when the injury is isolated to the cartilage or when micro fractures occur. Under these circumstances, nasal deformities
become progressively more noticeable over the course of time. This occurs for a variety of reasons
including scarring, ectopic bone formation and the elastic recoil of the
fractured cartilage.When
this situation arises, the vast majority of patients will require surgical
correction.In most cases, patients will
require a formal rhinoplasty with rasping and shaving of the dorsal bumps.If
you’re concerned about the appearance of your nose, it’s important to consult a
board certified plastic surgeon.This
surgeon should be able to perform a comprehensive evaluation and develop a
treatment plan that addresses your concerns.

Amy T. Bandy, DO, FACS · Answer

Thank you for posting a picture. Yes, trauma can cause a boney callous formation; not sure if that was what happened or if it was coincidental, but the treatment would be a cosmetic rhinoplasty, where the bone is rasped or shaved down. I would recommend seeing a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for a consultation. Photo imaging will help you to get an idea of what it would look like without the bump. Good Luck!

Houtan Chaboki, MD · Answer

A bump on the nose is very common and can come either from injury or develop natural. Bumps on the nose are typically made of bone, cartilage, or both. Bumps can also be scar tissue or callous on the bridge of the nose. Bumps can be treated with rhinoplasty, with rasping, shaving, bone reshaping, or cartilage removal. Only after a comprehensive evaluation can a rhinoplasty surgeon help determine appropriate options for you. Best of luck.

	Dr. Chaboki

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

Fractures of the nose can be hard to detect even by x-ray. So an x-ray report that reads negative does not mean one did not happen. I would suspect you did have a minimally displaced nasal fracture on that side which caused scar formation as a reponse to trauma of the periosteum and a small amount of bleeding. That would be enough to initiate a thickening and a visible bump from the outside. That could be treated by a limited rhinoplasty procedure to either rasp the bone or have it cut and moved inward to eliminate the visible bump.

Michael L. Schwartz, MD · Answer

It's hard to know for sure but certainly possible that you may have had a small non displaced fracture that formed bony callous overtime. This can be easily taken care of with smoothing of your dorsum.

Did Getting Hit on the Nose Cause Bump, and What Would the Treatment for It Be?

Answers (6)