Lump in the Neck
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Reviewed By:

Maxwell J. Nanes, DO

Maxwell J. Nanes, DO (Emergency Medicine)

Dr Nanes received a doctorate from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and went on to complete a residency in emergency medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. There he trained at Froedtert Hospital and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in the practice of adult and pediatric emergency medicine. He was a chief resident and received numerous awards for teaching excellence during his time there. | | After residency he took a job at a community hospital where he and his colleagues worked through the toughest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. |

Yoshinori Abe, MD

Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)

Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.

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Content updated on Jan 4, 2023

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  • I have a lump in my neck

  • Small lumps on the neck

  • Lumps in the neck

  • Lumps on neck

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About the Symptom

A lump or lumps on the neck can be hard or soft, small or large. Neck lumps can be caused by various things, including the thyroid gland, lymph nodes, skin lumps, and fatty deposits.

When to see a doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

  • Neck lump

Possible Causes

Generally, Lump in the neck can be related to:

  • Suppurative lymphadenitis

    Lymphadenitis suppurativa is the inflammation and suppuration (pus formation) of lymph nodes in the body.

  • Thyroid tumor

    A tumor in the thyroid gland. Most are non-cancerous, but some may be malignant. The primary symptom is a lump in the front of the neck along the thyroid gland. Workup includes ultrasound, biopsy, blood tests, and sometimes other scans.

  • Medullary thyroid cancer

    Medullary thyroid cancer is an unusual type of cancer of the thyroid, which is an organ in the front of the neck. The cause of medullary carcinoma is unknown but is sometimes due to inherited gene mutations. Workup includes scans, ultrasound, biopsy and a specific lab test called calcitonin.

  • Syphilis (including syphilitic alopecia)
  • Retropharyngeal abscess
  • Otitis media
  • Shingles
  • Common cold (upper respiratory tract infection)

Related serious diseases

Sometimes, Lump in the neck may be related to these serious diseases:

  • Kawasaki disease

    Kawasaki disease causes swelling, called inflammation, in the walls of small to medium-sized blood vessels that carry blood throughout the body. Kawasaki disease most often affects the heart arteries in children. Those arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart. It also causes swelling in glands, called lymph nodes, and mucous membranes inside the mouth, nose, eyes and throat. Symptoms include a fever greater than 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius) for five or more days, a rash on the main part of the body or in the genital area, an enlarged lymph node in the neck, very red eyes without a thick discharge, red, dry, cracked lips and a red, swollen tongue, swollen, red skin on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. Later the skin on fingers and toes peels.

  • Cervical lymphadenitis

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

  • Do you have a neck lump?

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Find Similar Symptoms

Similar symptoms or complaints

Reviewed By:

Maxwell J. Nanes, DO

Maxwell J. Nanes, DO (Emergency Medicine)

Dr Nanes received a doctorate from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and went on to complete a residency in emergency medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. There he trained at Froedtert Hospital and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in the practice of adult and pediatric emergency medicine. He was a chief resident and received numerous awards for teaching excellence during his time there. | | After residency he took a job at a community hospital where he and his colleagues worked through the toughest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. |

Yoshinori Abe, MD

Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)

Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.

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