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:

• 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.

• Suppurative Lymphadenitis

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

• 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.

• Kimura's Disease
• Necrotizing Lymphadenitis (Kikuchi Disease)
• Syphilis (Including Syphilitic Alopecia)

Related Serious Diseases

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

• Cervical Lymphadenitis

  This refers to the swelling of the neck's lymph nodes caused by inflammation. It's often due to a viral or bacterial infection and is common among children.

• Kawasaki Disease
• Infectious Mononucleosis
• Recurrent Parotitis

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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