Diagnosing corns. Corns are easy to spot, and they do not appear out of nowhere. A patient will notice and feel them developing, experiencing increasing levels of discomfort as they grow and worsen. When visiting the doctor, he/she will examine the affected area in order to rule out other potential causes of thickened, hardened skin, such as cysts or warts. Those with physical, structural abnormalities, such as a bunion, may need to undergo an X-ray in order to determine if this is causing the corn.
