Scientifically known as tiloma, it is an annoying type of callus that affects the feet. Here’s how to recognize and treat it.
What is popularly known as partridge’s eye is one of the problems that our feet have to deal with quite frequently. It is a tiloma, that is to say a particular type of callosity.
Corns and calluses are nothing more than a defense reaction put in place by the body: the skin, in case of repeated rubbing, hardens, creating a sort of armor of dead cells. Such training may not bother, but the partridge eye, in particular, is often painful and can also make walking difficult.
Here’s everything you need to know about this disorder.
What is partridge eye
Before finding out in detail what the partridge eye is, let’s better understand what calluses are in general. “They are hyperkeratoses, that is to say a thickening and hardening of the stratum corneum, that is the most superficial layer of the skin, which generally occur on the hands and, more often, on the feet. The thickening is such as to form a generally hard relief on the surface, rough to the touch, but which can also sink deep,” explains Marco Bordina, podiatrist at the Santagostino Medical Center in Milan.
In these cases it is usual to speak indistinctly of calluses and calluses, but between the two formations there are some differences, especially in terms of appearance and location:
- calluses are generally larger, with undefined contours and are most often formed on the forefoot, the part of the sole of the foot that is at the base of the toes
- calluses are smaller, have a well-delimited roundish shape, as well as a yellowish color, and usually, although not exclusively, form on the toes (above, below or between them) and at the lateral or posterior margins of the foot (also on the heels). The calluses that form between the fingers are more often of soft consistency, due to the stagnation of sweat.
Corns and calluses, therefore, can affect more or less large areas, but they are always superficial and, in most cases, do not cause pain.
Tilomas, on the contrary, are real plugs the size of a pea, deeply extended and often painful, which can give rise to bursitis (painful inflammation of a bag, the bag of liquid present in some places to protect the bones from the rubbing of skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments).
In other words, as the podiatrist points out: “the partridge’s eye (or tiloma), is a particular callus, which is distinguished from the others by its small and circular shape. It sinks deep into the skin. The popular name is linked to the frequent presence, at the center of the formation, of a dark dot: it depends on the entrapment, inside the callus, of a capillary. We speak of vascular or neurovascular thyloma, in the event that together with the small blood vessel is also trapped a nerve ending.
Just like the callus, the partridge eye can also be soft or hard, depending on whether it forms in the spaces between the fingers or in correspondence with the prominent bony parts, as happens in the case of the hallux valgus (condition caused by the protrusion of the base of the big toe with deviation of its tip inwards) or the so-called hammer finger (curvature of the second, of the third and fourth toes, due to the instability of their central joint).
| Features | |
| Calluses | Smaller than calluses
Rounded shape well delimited Yellowish color They are located on the toes and at the lateral or posterior margins of the foot |
| Calluses | Larger than calluses
Undefined form They are located on the forefoot |
| Partridge eye | Small and circular shape
Presence in the center of a dark dot |
Why partridge eye is formed
The cause of partridge eye is the same as the other types of calluses and calluses: “It is a biomechanical mechanism: excessive pressure and / or rubbing in an area of the skin stimulates skin thickening,” explains the expert.
At the plantar level, pressure and continuous friction are generally linked to the choice of unsuitable footwear: those that are too narrow at the tip, for example, favor excessive pressure on the fingertips or in the spaces between them; while shoes that are too loose allow the feet to move freely, thus rubbing the lateral and dorsal parts against the upper of the shoes and also favoring the appearance of blisters. The habit of frequently wearing shoes with high heels can finally favor a disproportionate pressure on the forefoot.
Possible triggers are also sports and very intense physical activity. In these cases, in fact, the persistent compression of the fingers favors the formation of tilomi which, due to the humidity inside the shoe, take on a whitish color.
“Particularly prone to the formation of partridge eyes are the elderly, because their feet lose part of the plantar adipose panniculus that helps to cushion pressure and friction. In addition, they are often subject to joint deformations due to osteoarthritis, which contribute to abnormal rubbing and, therefore, to aggravate the problem» recalls the podiatrist.
Symptoms
Aesthetically, the partridge eye is recognized, as already mentioned, as a small callus perfectly circular, rough and hard to the touch, tending to yellowish in color and with a darker dot in the center. It most often manifests itself on the toes or in interdigital spaces. Its presence can cause a series of complications and disorders that can compromise physical well-being.
“It is generally associated with burning pain or comparable to pangs and stylized, greater when the tiloma is further compressed, but such as to be felt even at night and at rest,” explains the podiatrist. “The pain comes from the fact that, even wedged deep into the dermis, the partridge eye ends up interfering and trapping some nerve endings.” Because of the pain, the partridge’s eye can make it difficult to walk normally or simply stand, and causes you to rest your feet incorrectly.
If neglected, particularly in individuals with vascular problems, including those induced by diabetes, tiloma can ulcerate (i.e. manifest a lesion) and be at risk of viral or bacterial infections, with possible collection of pus.
It is better to turn to the podiatrist
In case of suspected partridge eye it is always advisable to contact the podiatrist, the specialist who diagnoses and treats foot problems from a dermatological and biomechanical point of view:
- callosity;
- Warts;
- mycosis (such as the best known onychomycosis);
- ingrown nails;
- ulcers;
- diabetic foot injuries.
The podiatrist, in fact, just the physical examination to recognize a thyloma, distinguish it from a possible wart (a painful skin formation that can affect the feet, but which is of viral origin) and then proceed to treatment.
In the eventuality, even if infrequent, of a partridge eye on the sole of the foot, the podiatrist can also carry out a step examination, i.e. an evaluation, through specific tests, of how the feet move and rest, standing still and while walking. This is used to understand if they can be useful custom-made insoles to prevent chafing and compression and therefore reduce the risk of reappearance of calluses.
The cure
Against calluses you can find in pharmacies transdermal patches, that is, that slowly and continuously release substances, such as salicylic acid and lactic acid, which erode keratin, the stratum corneum of the epidermis accumulated in thickening.
Before applying them, in general, you need to soften the part to be treated with an emery file (those cardboard that are also used for nails), then you need to put the patch directly on the calluses, without overflowing so as not to damage healthy skin.
The application is usually done in the evening, leaving it to act throughout the night, and then proceed with the removal the following morning. The treatment requires to be repeated once every 24 hours, until the calluses are eliminated.
“These products, however, for the partridge eye specifically, can be ineffective or even counterproductive, because the tiloma is so small that it is often difficult to find a patch of the right size and therefore the risk of damaging the surrounding healthy skin is high”, underlines the podiatrist. “They should also not be used in cases of diabetes or circulatory problems.”
The most effective alternative is surgical removal of the partridge eye performed directly by the podiatrist with a scalpel. “The surgery does not require anesthesia and stitches, and usually does not involve bleeding either,” continues the expert. “Generally, no special medications are also necessary, unless infection is also present. In this case, the tiloma is first removed, then the application of a local antibiotic and disinfectant foot baths is prescribed. When the tissue is healed, emollient creams are applied to ensure that the skin that is growing remains soft.”
Prevention strategies
The partridge eye has a high probability of reforming after a first removal if the conditions that favored its appearance remain. In general, therefore, those who have suffered from it must periodically undergo treatment by the podiatrist. This does not mean that strategies can be implemented for prevention, or, at least, to lengthen the time between one treatment and another.
Choosing appropriate footwear, not too wide or too tight is certainly important: wearing comfortable shoes, in fact, allows you to relieve pressure on the fingers, and therefore to prevent the onset of podiatric problems and the feeling of swelling in the legs.
“Not only that,” explains the expert: “if the partridge eye tends to form in the spaces between the fingers, you can use small braces [orthoses] of silicone to be placed at the interdigital level, to reduce chafing and compression, as well as a specific insole can be studied if there are problems with support and walking».
Equally useful are also insoles, padding, pads of appropriate shapes and sizes, leather or foam bandages, and in general everything that can help to cushion and redistribute the pressure exerted on the foot.
“The podiatrist can also suggest the regular application of a urea-based keratolytic cream, in a percentage ranging from 10 to 30% depending on the characteristics of one’s skin.”
There are also some DIY remedies often used to remove the most superficial thickenings, but which are hardly effective on an already formed partridge eye. Implemented regularly as part of the periodic pedicure (2-3 times a week), however, they can soften the skin and therefore slow down the formation of deep calluses. For example, a foot bath in hot water and baking soda (with an exfoliating effect), even with the addition of a lavender essential oil (or bath salts), in addition to giving relief to tired feet, leaves the skin soft. After the foot bath, pumice stone can be used to gently remove thickened skin. There are also devices very similar to epilators, but equipped with roller heads, with cutters that perform the same function as pumice stone, but with particular delicacy. You can also make a homemade scrub by mixing three tablespoons of baking soda powder and one of warm water to obtain a homogeneous mixture to be applied gently on the ends, then rubbing on the thickest skin parts. After the pumice stone or scrub you can apply an aloe vera gel, soothing and moisturizing.
Finally, in the presence of a partridge eye (waiting for podiatric treatment) it may be advisable to wash the feet with an antibacterial soap, taking care to dry well before wearing socks and shoes, to prevent the appearance of infections.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
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