Bleeding lump on front foot

* I've already gone to a vet multiple times* * apologies for any typos/grammar, english is not my first language * * female cat, 13 years old, only indoors, generally healthy * I just need to see if anyone had something similar, or have any ideas - long post ahead: So, my cat begun limping in August 2021 for a couple of weeks. Taken to vet, nothing to notice, the vet said maybe she strained it when scratching her nails as it was quite sensitive if folded. The limping stopped after a couple of weeks. December 2021 she begun limping again. I assumed it was the same, called the vet, he said most probably it's the same thing, so didn't do anything. A few days later she stopped limping and a lump/mass appeared above the ankle, mid of the front leg. She wasn't limping and it didn't seem to bother her. I let her heal, it didn't go away. February 2022 I took her to the vet to examine it. He sugeested x-rays and biopsy. The c-rays came back clean and the biopsy inconclusive. I can put a photo of the whole report, but here is what the comment said: 'This is a small area of spindle cell proliferation lining a central fluid filled structure. Depending on the precise site, this could represent an extension of synovium or temdon sheath. Alternatively, it may represent formation of an adventitious bursa/bursitis or seroma like structure. It may be worth ruling out undelying body abnormality/injury which may be contributing to the formation of a bursa. A penetrating foreigh body remains a possibility, as does soft tissue sarcoma.' The cat has no temprature - eats, plays, sleeps, reacts as normal. March + April the whole thing seemed to retain fluid and the cat wouldn't walk properly and when standing she would hold the front feet in the air. I showed the xrays and biopsy to a friend vet and they said it doesn't look like cancer. 1 week ago the skin opened and there was a lot of thick blood coming out of it, dripping. I freaked out, called some friends who know about cats, ended up bandaging it. Next day I took her to the vets again (Another vet to get a second opnion), they repeated the biopsy result, checked her out, told me to do a CT scan (1,500 pounds) which most probably wouldn't show anything more - meaning it wouldn't say what it is and how to treat it. Also, they won't remove it unless they know what it is, which is frustrating as they can't tell what it is unless redo the biopsy, which might come back incocnclusive again, hence I would have put a 13 years old cat under general anaesthesia 2 times, without knowing what it is and if they understand, then again under anaesthesia to remove it.... The hole in the skin closed and the vet prescribed antibiotics to exclude the possibility of an infection (no temperature though and the cat still eating). Today, it just opened again, the whole living room covered with blood. I let her lick it this time, after 1 hour of it dripping, I put the collar to her to stop licking it and left the wound open to drain, and right now it seems to have stopped dripping. Any ideas what this is? One of my vet friends abroad said it could be a hematoma because of the strain (if she actually strained it). It doesn't look like an absess as it doesn't contain puss and the cat doesn't have a temperature. I'm desperate at this point. Thank you everyone.

Oh my goodness!  What a lot youve both gone through.   I suspect that the reason you don't have an answer yet is because so many biopsies have come back inconclusive - and of course, if your vet can't give you a conclusive diagnosis even with biopsies, I know you don't really expect me to be in a position to offer a diagnosis here.

Anyway, we won't because this is ethically inappropriate.   Rather, what everyone needs to concentrate on now is what should happen next.   It sounds to me as though the vet is trying a trial treatment period at the moment - or perhaps that has just finished?   I hear that repeated biopsies may be an option - but what if nothing is found?  In extremis, amputation may be an option ( because any local pain or difficulty with that area would be gone).  This may be more appropriate in some situations than you think, because the pain may resolve and cats can have excellent lives on three legs, but of course I cannot see the case and it may be that this is extreme.  Referral to a specialist is an option; a phone conversation between the vet and the pathologist is an option.  I used to find this very useful; pathologists tend to love chatting to vets, can explain fully why the samples are coming back inconclusive  and will have seen something similar before, because these cases get sent to them all the time from all over the country.  They can therefore give their best reccommendation as to how to move the case forward.  I hope that something here gives you an idea.

Thank you Liz for your reply, it is frustrating indeed and I'm so sad that my cat has to go through all these without me knowing how to handle this situation. Indeed, we tried metacam for 10 days, it kind of seemed to slightly improve the situation, and then after last week that it bled for the first time, the vet suggested to begin Noroklav 1.5 pill twice per da to rule out being an infection hence retaining fluids. I gave for 4 days, and yesterday it opened again bleeding and the cat had diarrhea at some point during the night so I didn't gave more pills today. I'm not sure it was helping anyway. Today I'm waiting a phone call from the vet. Just to be clear that I'm not expecting a diagnosis over the internet, but maybe some ideas of what situation/disease could have these symptoms i.e. a quite hard lump on the leg with clean xrays of the bone, inconclusive biopsy, no fever, swelling and then bleeding but no puss - just blood which then stops (so it's not like a veing or artery straigh bleeding), normal appetite and playing, no weight loss, fur looks normal and shinny, normal sleep. Talking to a specialist would be a good idea, of course it costs around 1800 pounds, but I wouldn't mind to do it even if I need to borrow money, if someone could tell me what it is and what to do with it.   Thanks again for taking the time to respond and being so understanding. It is a difficult situation for everyone onvolved I guess, which is very sad. All the best, Despoina

these are February's blood results with some notes by me to understand what these indicators mean: