About one in five of people with rheumatoid arthritis get rheumatoid nodules. These hard lumps of tissue range in size from about the size of a pea to as large as a ping pong ball. They may develop under the skin over bony areas such as the elbow, ankle, or finger. They can also form on organs such as the lungs.
For some people, treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or steroid shots may shrink nodules. You may need surgery to remove them if they get infected or become painful.