Lump in the Neck

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.

• Malignant Lymphoma

  A malignant lymphoma is a cancer that starts in the body's lymphatic system cells and can spread to other body parts. There are dozens of different kinds of lymphomas which are broadly categorized as "Hodgkins Lymphomas" and "Non-Hodgkins Lymphomas" (NHL). The different types are also classified by the cell type the cancer comes from and each different type of lymphoma has its own patterns of spread, treatments, and prognosis The most frequent symptom is swollen lymph nodes. Fevers, night sweats, itchiness, and fatigue can also be seen with lymphomas as can difficulty breathing or abdominal pain. Risk factors include age, family history, a weakened immune system from medications or illness, prior cancer treatments, viral infections such as Epstein-Barr and HIV.

• Retropharyngeal Abscess
• Medullary Thyroid Cancer
• Syphilis (Including Syphilitic Alopecia)
• Ear Infection
• Shingles (Herpes Zoster)

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?
• How long have you had a lump on your neck?

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